JD Vance accuses Gov. Walz of misleading public about military service

Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) leveled serious accusations against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday, claiming the governor had misrepresented his military service and avoided deployment to Iraq.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Detroit, Vance responded to questions about Walz's criticism of his Ivy League education, Fox News reports. The senator defended his background, stating, "I came from a family where nobody in my family had ever gone to law school. I grew up in a poor family. The fact that Tim Walz wants to turn it into a bad thing, that I actually worked myself through college, through law school and made something myself — to me, that's the American dream."

Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, then shifted focus to Walz's military record. "When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him, a fact that he's been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people that he served with," Vance alleged.

The senator also took issue with Walz's statements on gun control, particularly the governor's claim about weapons used in war. Vance challenged, "He said, 'We shouldn't allow weapons that I used in war to be on America's streets.' Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war?"

Vance urged reporters to scrutinize Walz's record, as well as that of Vice President Kamala Harris, who he noted has not taken questions from the press since President Biden's endorsement of her for the 2024 presidential race.

The accusations come amidst heightened political tensions, with former President Trump also criticizing Harris for allegedly relying too heavily on teleprompters during public appearances.