Rep. Banks demanded the release of Tim Walz’s service record
“The American people deserve transparency,” Rep. Jim Banks said in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, demanding that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s military records be released.
Rep. Banks sent a letter to Secretary Austin on Thursday, as Governor Walz comes under intense scrutiny due to claims about his military service in the National Guard.
“The American people deserve transparency into the military records of service-members who serve in public office and especially when they represent such service as credentials for public office,” wrote Rep. Banks.
“Misrepresentation and deceit intended to mislead the public about their service erode the integrity of our military and impact all Americans who choose to serve.”
Banks also asked Secretary Austin whether “falsely claiming to have carried a combat weapon in war constitutes stolen valor.” Walz claimed at a campaign event to have carried weapons “in war,” despite never having served in a combat theater.
Tim Walz misled the American people about his rank for decades.
He lied about carrying weapons of war in a war.
What else has he been untruthful about? Voters deserve answers.
I just sent a records request to SecDef Austin. I hope he provides them quickly. https://t.co/mJL9ry8unW
— Jim Banks (@Jim_Banks) August 9, 2024
Walz made misleading claims about his military rank, which were picked up on by Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, himself a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, and other veterans. Walz claimed to be a “retired command sergeant,” when in fact he was only a master sergeant when he retired in 2005 to run for Congress.
Walz has claimed to be a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, the US mission in Afghanistan, despite never setting foot in Afghanistan. The closest he came was a support role in Italy. As reported by The Post Millennial, Walz’s staff were confronted by an Iraq War veteran in 2009 over claims Walz had served in Afghanistan.
“Operation Enduring Freedom is limited to Afghanistan and the airspace directly above,” the veteran told an aide in Walz’s office. “Congressman Walz is clearly claiming… to be an Enduring Freedom veteran.”
Supporters of Walz, including former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, are now trying to obfuscate Walz’s claims. In a CNN interview on Friday night, in which he gave his endorsement to Kamala Harris, Ventura said he thought the attacks on Walz as a veteran were “shameful,” especially the claim that Walz may have retired from the National Guard to ensure he didn’t have to go on an actual battlefield deployment, in Iraq.
“I think it’s shameful that a veteran would attack another veteran. Governors Walz served honorably for 24 years in the National Guard. After 20 years you are eligible to retire at any time you deem necessary.”
Ventura went on to say that the main issue with Walz missing deployment to Iraq was that the war itself was illegal, and the National Guard should not have been sent there in the first place.
