It looks like Governor Tim Walz might have just stepped into some serious hot water. Ohio Senator JD Vance is calling out Walz for what he sees as a pretty big issue: allegedly lying about his military service. And honestly? It’s not a good look for Walz.
Let’s break it down. Walz, who has long touted his military background as part of his political resume, was recently caught on video making some bold claims. Specifically, he said he “carried a weapon in war.” Sounds tough, right? But here’s the kicker—Walz never actually went to war.
Despite the campaign’s claim that Walz served with honor for over two decades, that claim is not what is being disputed. What is being disputed is the governor’s claim that he fought in a war while pushing his anti-gun ownership agenda.
He’s done it more than once.
Vance didn’t waste any time tearing into this. He’s made it clear that while he respects Walz’s service, he’s not about to let him get away with what he’s calling “stolen valor.” Vance pointed out that Walz has been all too comfortable letting people believe he was an Afghanistan veteran, nodding along when others praised him for it, instead of setting the record straight. According to Vance, this isn’t just a little white lie—it’s a serious misrepresentation meant to score political points.
And let’s be real—Vance has a point. In a world where integrity matters (or at least, should matter), embellishing your military record to boost your political career is a huge red flag. It’s one thing to be proud of your service, but it’s another to exaggerate it for personal gain.
During an interview with CNN, Vance said the following:
Well, of course, Dana, I honor his service. I’ve never criticized what Tim Walsh did when he was in the military. I criticized his retirement decision. And most importantly, Dana, I criticized his lying about his own record. This is a guy who is captured on video saying, I carried a gun in war.
He never went to war.
This is a guy who’s been captured on video. As other people say, he’s an Afghanistan veteran. He’s a veteran of a war, nodding along an agreement instead of saying, No, I did serve my country, and I did it honorably, but I never went to a war zone. I’m not criticizing Tim Walsh’s service. I’m criticizing the fact that he lied about his service for political gain, Dana. Now, I served in the United States, we’re in cour, and you know this. Look, there are a lot of things that I’m proud about.
I’ve never lied about what I did or overstated it because it would be beneficial to me in an election. I think that’s what Tim Walsh did. That’s what I was criticizing. Yes, I do think it’s scandalous behavior.
Walz has yet to address these accusations head-on, but the longer he stays silent, the worse it looks. Voters tend to have a long memory when it comes to this kind of stuff, and if Walz doesn’t come clean soon, this could seriously damage his credibility.
So while JD Vance is out here holding Walz’s feet to the fire, Tim Walz is facing some tough questions that he’ll need to answer sooner rather than later. Otherwise, this scandal might just stick.