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CNN is going to leave one of its own alone, and in fact cover for him or her. Imagine the surprise when the network says the VP pick embellished his military record. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is a National Guard veteran who has never served in a war or been near a combat zone. He was in the National Guard during a time of war, between 1981 and 2005. Vance is a combat veteran.
CNN Surprises
Tom Foreman spoke ill of Walz, saying he
“has used language that has suggested that he carried weapons in a fighting situation. There is a difference between being in a combat area, being involved at a time of war, and actually being in a position where people are shooting at you. There is no evidence at any time Gov. Walz was in a position of being shot at, and some of his language could easily be seen to suggest that he was, so that is absolutely false when he said that about gun rights out there.”
The reporter was probably referring to a clip shared on social media from the Harris campaign. Walz can be heard telling the audience,
“I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I’ve been voting for common-sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can do CDC research. … We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are [allowed].”
The network said, “Walz deployed with the Minnesota National Guard in August 2003 to Vicenza, Italy, as part of support for the US war in Afghanistan, according to a Minnesota Guard spokesperson. He did not deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq or a combat zone as part of his service.”
CNN compared
The network spoke of both VP candidates. Both CNN and the New York Times seemed to downplay the experience.
Both noted Vance was listed as a combat correspondent and that he wasn’t on the front lines but he was still very likely in harm’s way. Over 75% of injuries during that time were from explosive devices installed right on the roads according to a 2010 study done by the National Institutes of Health.
Kamala Harris thought it might earn brownie points to note Walz’ military service at their first rally together. She said, “To his fellow veterans, he is Sgt. Maj. Walz.”
CNN noted Walz’ record
Retired Minnesota Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends remembered in 2002 that Walz sought re-election. The governor left service in 2005 when he found out his unit was going to be deployed to Iraq.
“He abandoned us. … As soon as the shots were fired in Iraq, he turned and ran the other way, hung his hat up and quit,” Behrends remembered. Behrends was next in line behind Walz. He stepped forward and was deployed for almost 2 years in Iraq.
Vance summarized it. Walz ran when it came time to serve.
“You know what really bothers me about Tim Walz as a Marine who served his country in uniform? When the United States Marine Corps, when the United State of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. I did it when they asked me to do it, and I did it honorably and I’m very proud of that service. 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.”
Vance asked Walz if he would even know what a weapon used in war was.
“He said we shouldn’t allow weapons ‘that I used in war’ to be [used] on America’s streets. Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq, and he has not spent a day in a combat zone? What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. I’d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.”
