Walz Responds to Vance Regarding Military Service Criticism

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) responded vigorously to Senator J.D. Vance’s (R-Ohio) criticisms of his military service on Tuesday. This exchange marks a significant escalation in the ongoing contest between the two vice presidential candidates.

In his first solo address since being selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, Walz emphasized the importance of respecting one another’s military service. He asserted, “I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.” This statement came during his speech at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union event in Los Angeles.

Vance, who is a Marine veteran, has accused Walz, who served in the Army National Guard, of being disingenuous about his service. Vance claimed that while he served in Iraq when called upon, Walz chose to “drop out of the Army” to evade deployment.

Walz’s military career spanned over two decades in the Army National Guard, during which he did not experience combat. He opted to leave the military in order to run for Congress, just before his unit was scheduled to be deployed. According to Walz, his fellow servicemen were not aware that they were being activated at the time of his departure. He defended his commitment to veterans by stating that he has been a strong advocate for their needs as a lawmaker.

“These guys are even attacking me for my record of service. And I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country and I always will be. With my dad’s encouragement — a guy who served in the Army during the Korean War — I signed up for the Army National Guard two days after my 17th birthday,” Walz reflected in his speech.

“Then in 2005, I felt the call of duty again, this time of being a service to my country in the halls of Congress. My students inspired me to run for that office,” he continued, highlighting the motivation behind his political journey.

The governor’s address was primarily directed towards union members, who represent a vital demographic for Democrats heading into the November elections. Walz made a notable claim, stating that he is the first union member to appear on a presidential ticket since former President Ronald Reagan. He assured his audience, “But rest assured, I won’t lose my way.”

Walz contrasted his values with those of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, stating, “They see the world very differently than we do. The only thing those two know about working people is how to work to take advantage of them.”

To further emphasize his point, he referenced Harris’s past employment at McDonald’s during college, questioning Trump’s ability in that context. “Can you simply picture Donald Trump working at a McDonald’s? … He couldn’t run that damn McFlurry machine if it cost him anything,” Walz quipped.

The governor accused Trump of waging a “war on workers,” quoting the United Auto Worker President Shawn Fain, who characterized Trump as a “scab.” He insisted that the backbone of America is built by workers, stating, “The vice president and I, we know exactly who built this country — it was nurses, it was teachers, and it was state and local government employees that built this nation. People in this room built the middle class.”

Later in the day, Governor Walz is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in California before embarking on his first solo fundraising tour, which will take him to Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.