Republicans are targeting Tim Walz's military service.
It is the task of campaign teams to find weak points in the opponent's resume. In the case of Kamala Harris' new vice, they seem to have found one - and are exercising sharp criticism of Tim Walz's military service.
Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential campaign has put the US Republicans in a predicament: they had to completely reorient their campaign towards the now-designated presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. The first attacks from Donald Trump and his camp on the incumbent vice president seemed somewhat bewildered.
Now, another player has entered the field: Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate. And the Republicans are quickly searching his career and resume for weak points. One they seem to have found is Walz's military service. Trump's vice, J.D. Vance, an Iraq war veteran, took up the topic at an appearance in Ohio: he raised questions about Walz's military deployments and questioned his withdrawal from the army.
Walz, according to reports from AP, served a total of 24 years in various units and functions in the Army National Guard, the land forces of the National Guard. These are primarily made up of volunteers and resemble a militia. After a period of active service, soldiers become reservists and are not full-time soldiers.
Joining the National Guard at 17
Walz began his career at the age of 17 and was decorated many times during his military career. However, Republicans are criticizing the end of his service in 2005, when his then-unit was under discussion for being mobilized for deployment to Iraq. At the same time, Walz was running for the House of Representatives.
Despite the possible mobilization, Walz stuck to his candidacy - and left the service in May 2005. According to his own statements, he wanted to focus fully on his campaign. Walz was elected in 2006 and entered the House of Representatives in early 2007 - as the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer. In August 2005, according to AP, the Army Ministry officially issued a mobilization order for Walz's unit, which was eventually deployed to Iraq in March 2006. Republicans now accuse Walz of abandoning his unit and avoiding deployment to Iraq.
However, there is no solid evidence that Walz wanted to avoid deployment to Iraq. He left before the official mobilization, which was only a rumor at that point. Moreover, his service could have actually ended due to his candidacy - some civil servants are prohibited from engaging in politics. Harris' campaign team also pointed out that Walz had advocated for the rights of veterans as a congressman and had served on the committee for veterans' affairs.
Not in combat
Another point of criticism from Republicans concerns statements by Walz that suggest he participated in combat. However, he was never in combat. As a member of the National Guard, he was primarily deployed for natural disasters in Nebraska and Minnesota. In 2003, he went to Italy for nine months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - the war on terror - but he was not part of the combat troops either.
"Don't pretend to be something you're not," Vance said. "I'd be ashamed if I said I had lied about my military service, as you have." Vance himself was a lance corporal in the Marines in the Iraq war - he was also not part of the combat troops.
Finally, there's a third point of criticism: Walz's rank in the army. The Harris campaign referred to him as a "Command Sergeant Major". While Walz did achieve this high rank in the National Guard, he was demoted after his retirement because he had not met certain requirements by the time he left. For instance, he had not completed courses necessary for the rank. Walz currently holds the rank of Master Sergeant.
The Commission, representing the Republicans, is scrutinizing Tim Walz's military service after he was chosen as Kamala Harris' running mate. The Commission is raising concerns about Walz's departure from the military before his unit was potentially mobilized for deployment to Iraq.
In response to criticisms about Walz's military career, Joe Biden's campaign team has highlighted his advocacy for veterans' rights as a congressman and his service on the committee for veterans' affairs.
