Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP pick, is facing a social media backlash for allegedly deflecting accusations of "stolen valor" by emphasizing his military service record without directly addressing the claims.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, recently named as Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick, is facing a social media firestorm after portraying himself as a victim in response to accusations of “stolen valor.”
During a speech at the AFSCME Convention this week, Walz addressed the controversy indirectly, highlighting his 24 years of National Guard service and his work supporting veterans in Congress. While he didn’t directly confront the allegations or mention Trump’s VP pick JD Vance, Walz stated, “I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, I just have a few simple words: thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
However, the speech sparked criticism on social media, particularly from U.S. service members who felt Walz sidestepped the issue. Retired Col. Rob Maness wrote on X: “No one is denigrating his actual service record, they’re denigrating the lies he tells about his service record. Walz is dishonoring himself by embellishing his military service record for political gain.”
Retired USAF pilot Dale Stark added, “It’s not ‘degrading someone’s service record’ to point out that they lied about serving in combat repeatedly.”
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