Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whose military service has come under intense scrutiny, “misspoke” in a 2018 video in which he is heard discussing his handling of weapons “in war,” a Harris campaign spokesman said Friday.
“Governor Walz would never insult or undermine the service any American has given to this country; in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for risking his life for our country. It's the American way,” Harris' campaign spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News.
“In arguing why there should never be weapons of war on our streets or in our classrooms, the governor was wrong. He did handle weapons of war and firmly believes that only military members trained to carry such lethal weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children,” the spokesperson added.
I SERVED WITH TIM WALZ AS A REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE. HE WILL MAKE A GOOD VICE PRESIDENT
Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on August 7. (Andrew Harnik)
The 2018 video shows Walz speaking about gun control and referencing his own military experience.
“We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in the war are the only place they are,” Walz said in the clip, which was released by Harris' campaign on Tuesday.
Republicans, led by vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, have criticized Walz’s military service. Walz served 24 years in the National Guard but was never deployed to a war zone. In 2003, he was sent with his unit to Vicenza, Italy, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the name for the war in Afghanistan.
Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said the Walz campaign is struggling to “clean up its own mess.”
“Why won't Tim Walz speak out about his lies? Why does he need to send low-level mouthpieces to clean up his own mess? Walz is a liar and a fraud, and Kamala chose a running mate who shares her own vile values,” Cheung said.
Walz retired from the Army in 2005, several months before the unit deployed to Iraq.
Vance, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, accused Walz of “stolen valor.”
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“I wonder, Tim Walz, when have you been to war?” Vance said at an event in Michigan. “What was that weapon you were carrying to war? What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor crap. Don't pretend to be something you're not.”
“I would be ashamed if I were him and lied about my military service like he did,” he added.
