An open letter signed by more than 1,000 veterans and military family members bashed former President Trump and his vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) for their “politically motivated attacks” on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) military record.
“JD Vance’s recent comments attacking Governor Walz’s service record are disrespectful and deeply disappointing, especially given Vance’s own service — which we are also profoundly grateful for,” states the letter, first reported by USA Today and later obtained by The Hill. “But given Donald Trump’s long record of expressing disdain for service members, veterans, and their families, it’s unsurprising that his running mate has stooped to such lows.”
The letter comes amid intense GOP attacks, led largely by Vance, on Walz’s 24 years in the Army National Guard. Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, has targeted Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, over his retirement from the military ahead of his unit’s deployment to Iraq.
Walz signed up for the Guard at 17 and served until May 2005, when he decided to retire to run for Congress. He went on to serve six terms and become the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“When the United States of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably, and I’m very proud of that service,” Vance said at a campaign stop last week. “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 also has accused Walz of “stolen valor.”
But the new letter, signed by 1,048 individuals — including former top National Guard Bureau official Maj. Gen. Randy Manner and former military officer and Veterans Affairs Department Assistant Secretary Brenda Sue Fulton — lauds Walz’s military service. The group writes that “as individuals who have served and sacrificed for this nation, we are thrilled to see someone who served our country in uniform for decades on the ticket.”
They add that Walz “has demonstrated throughout his career a profound respect for those who serve, as well as their families.”
His service in and out of uniform “embodies the values of duty, honor, and commitment,” they write, while Trump and Vance “seek to diminish the sacrifices of our military community and renege on our obligation to veterans.”
On Tuesday, Walz spoke out against the attacks during a speech to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union.
“I am damn proud of my service to this country,” he said. “And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
The Harris campaign has also pushed back against the GOP assault, which revolve around a 2018 clip of Walz speaking out on gun violence. In the clip, Walz says he wants to “make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” suggesting he had been in a combat zone. The campaign last week said Walz “misspoke.”
The GOP has also criticized Walz for leaving the military to run for Congress, claiming he left to avoid his unit’s deployment to Iraq. Walz, in fact, retired in May 2005, months before a deployment order was given to his unit in August of that year.