The controversy surrounding Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) military record continues to grow, with even senior Democrats struggling to defend him against allegations of stolen valor. Meanwhile, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), the running mate of former President Donald Trump, has been open about his own military service in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was the latest Democrat to botch the facts about Vance’s service, asking MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell if he had been in combat. Mitchell’s response was awkward, stating that Vance had served in Iraq as a public relations officer, but Pelosi’s question highlighted the Democrats’ lack of knowledge about Vance’s military background.
In contrast, Vance has been quick to point out the differences between his own service and Walz’s claims of carrying “weapons of war” in combat. A clip from the Kamala Harris campaign’s own social media account shows Walz making these claims, which Vance has disputed, stating that Walz “has not spent a day in a combat zone.”
Even liberal outlets have acknowledged that Vance is forthcoming about not seeing combat, while Walz’s claims have been widely disputed. Pelosi’s attempt to deflect the issue by pointing out Vance’s criticism of antisemitism in the Democratic Party was met with confusion, and she struggled to provide a coherent answer.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) also made a similar mistake, claiming that she was “not aware of any military service” that Vance had ever served. She was corrected on-air by CNN’s Jim Acosta, highlighting the Democrats’ lack of knowledge about Vance’s military background.
Vice President Kamala Harris herself has also been criticized for denigrating Vance’s service, claiming that he would be loyal to Trump rather than the country. Vance responded by pointing out the hypocrisy of Harris’s comments, given her own running mate’s questionable military record.
