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Fifty Republican members of Congress who have served in the Armed Forces signed a letter on Wednesday condemning Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz for misrepresenting his military service.
The letter was posted to the Trump campaign website and has been shared with several media outlets.
“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,” the letter stated.
The letter added that “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.”
Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard. His record came under scrutiny after being named the vice presidential running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“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,” the signers added.
“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,” the letter continued.
“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,” they concluded.
The letter’s signers included Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rick Scott of Florida and Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Numerous House members also joined the letter, including Reps. Brian Mast of Florida and Ryan Zinke of Montana. The full letter is available here.
