ICYMI: 50 Republican Servicemembers and Veterans Send Letter Condemning Governor Walz’s Lies About Military Service

August 21, 2024

The Trump Campaign deleted the first letter we posted to correct a copy edit mistake made by a staffer. This was corrected within hours, unlike Tim Walz, who still hasn’t corrected the record and admitted that he lied about his military service for decades to advance his political career.

 

To Governor Tim Walz:

 

The Office of the Vice President is a position that requires the trust of the American people and a solemn commitment to duty on behalf of the United States of America. As veterans who have served our nation, we feel compelled to address your egregious misrepresentations and urge you to come clean to the American people.

 

You have stated that you are “damn proud” of your service, and like any American veteran, you should be. But there is no honor in lying about the nature of your service. Repeatedly claiming to be a “Retired Command Sergeant Major” when you did not complete the requirements was not honorable. Nor was it honorable to claim to carry weapons “in war” when you had not served in war, and abandoning the men and women under your leadership just as they were getting ready to deploy was certainly not honorable either.

 

To be blunt, when you falsely claim military service that did not happen and abandon your post, you diminish the real sacrifices made by veterans who did serve in combat. Military service is not merely a job or a uniform. Those who serve in the Armed Forces endure rigorous training, face perilous situations, and make sacrifices that most civilians can’t comprehend. The honor of wearing the uniform is earned through dedication, bravery, and an unwavering sense of duty. You have displayed none of these characteristics as you have lied your way through a political career launched on the foundation of a title you did not earn and combat deployments you did not take part in.

 

In short, our grave concern stems from the fact that the office of the Vice President is one heartbeat away from becoming the Commander-In-Chief. You’ve already demonstrated your unwillingness to lead in time of war and a lack of honor through your blatant misrepresentations exploiting and co-opting the experiences of America’s combat veterans for personal gain.

 

As a result, America’s veterans and servicemembers are rightfully concerned about what would happen to them should you ascend to the Presidency. When America asked you to lead your troops into War, you turned your back on your troops. You have violated the trust of our brothers and sisters in arms. Their blood, sweat, and sacrifice are the only reason our nation is able to exist. Until you admit you lied to them, there is no way you can be trusted to serve as Vice President.

 

Sincerely,

 

Brian Mast, Chair of Veterans and Military Families for Trump;

U.S. Representative (FL-21); U.S. Army

Joni Ernst, U.S. Senator (IA); Army National Guard

Roger Marshall, U.S. Senator (KS); U.S. Army Reserve

Rick Scott, U.S. Senator (FL); U.S. Navy

Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator (MS); U.S. Air Force Reserve

Brian Babin, U.S. Representative (TX-36); U.S. Air Force

Don Bacon, U.S. Representative (NE-02); U.S. Air Force

Jim Baird, U.S. Representative (IN-04); U.S. Army

Jim Banks, U.S. Representative (IN-03); U.S. Navy Reserve

Jack Bergman, U.S. Representative (MI-01); U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Mike Bost, U.S. Representative (IL-12); U.S. Marine Corps

Mike Carey, U.S. Representative (OH-15); U.S. Army Reserve

Eli Crane, U.S. Representative (AZ-02); U.S. Navy

Warren Davidson, U.S. Representative (OH-08); U.S. Army

Neal Dunn, U.S. Representative (FL-02); U.S. Army

Jake Ellzey, U.S. Representative (TX-06); U.S. Navy

Pat Fallon, U.S. Representative (TX-04); U.S. Air Force

Scott Fitzgerald, U.S. Representative (WI-05); U.S. Army Reserve

Scott Franklin, U.S. Representative (FL-18); U.S. Navy

Tony Gonzales, U.S. Representative (TX-23), U.S. Navy

Mark Green, U.S. Representative (TN-07); U.S. Army

Brett Guthrie, U.S. Representative (KY-02); U.S. Army

Clay Higgins, U.S. Representative (LA-03); Army National Guard

Wesley Hunt, U.S. Representative (TX-38); U.S. Army

Darrell Issa, U.S. Representative (CA-48); U.S. Army

Ronny Jackson, U.S. Representative (TX-13); U.S. Navy

Jen Kiggans, U.S. Representative (VA-02); U.S. Navy

Nick LaLota, U.S. Representative (NY-01); U.S. Navy

Greg Lopez, U.S. Representative (CO-04); U.S. Air Force

Barry Loudermilk, U.S. Representative (GA-11); U.S. Air Force

Anna Paulina Luna, U.S. Representative (FL-13); U.S. Air Force

Rich McCormick, U.S. Representative (GA-06); U.S. Navy

Max Miller, U.S. Representative (OH-07); U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Mariannette Miller-Meeks, U.S. Representative (IA-01); U.S. Army

Cory Mills, U.S. Representative (FL-07); U.S. Army

Barry Moore, U.S. Representative (AL-02); Army National Guard

Troy Nehls, U.S. Representative (TX-22); U.S. Army Reserve

Zach Nunn, U.S. Representative (IA-03); U.S. Air Force Reserve

Scott Perry, U.S. Representative (PA-10); Army National Guard

August Pfluger, U.S. Representative (TX-11); U.S. Air Force

Guy Reschenthaler, U.S. Representative (PA-14); U.S. Navy

Hal Rogers, U.S. Representative (KY-05); Army National Guard

Keith Self, U.S. Representative (TX-03); U.S. Army

Gregory Steube, U.S. Representative (FL-17); U.S. Army

William Timmons, U.S. Representative (SC-04); Air National Guard

Derrick Van Orden, U.S. Representative (WI-03); U.S. Navy

Michael Waltz, U.S. Representative (FL-06); Army National Guard

Brandon Williams, U.S. Representative (NY-22); U.S. Navy

Joe Wilson, U.S. Representative (SC-02); Army National Guard

Ryan Zinke, U.S. Representative (MT-01); U.S. Navy