By Julianna Frieman
Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the party’s nominee for vice president, called out CNN Sunday for ignoring its own guest, former Command Sergeant Major and Minnesota National Guardsman Doug Julin, who said Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz went over his head and retired before his unit’s deployment to Iraq.
The chaplain of Tim Walz’s National Guard battalion has called Walz “cowardly” for abandoning his unit. Although Walz never fought in a war, he cited his non-existent service in a war in the course of advocating gun control, referring to “weapons of war, that I carried in war,” according to the New York Times. Although Walz did not serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, Walz told a Gold Star family during a PTSD hearing that he had been deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Julin, who was the command sergeant major of the brigade Walz was assigned to, appeared on CNN Saturday and said that Walz knew his unit would be deployed to Iraq six months before they received deployment orders. Julin said Walz promised to deploy and went back on his word by subverting him and seeking approval for retirement from higher-ranking officials.
BOMBSHELL: Tim Walz’s superior officer in the National Guard tells CNN that Walz knew he was going to be deployed to Iraq six months before he decided to retire. He also says Walz promised he would deploy and went back on his word and abandoned his men.pic.twitter.com/6Vpw9KQ0Vl
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 10, 2024
Vance told CNN host Dana Bash that Walz “lied” about his military service, referencing the Harris-Walz campaign’s claim that Walz “misspoke” about using weapons of war “in a war.” Vance said several soldiers who served with Walz criticized the Minnesota governor similarly, including Julin on CNN.
“On the question of when he left the National Guard, he filed his election paperwork on February 10, 2005. That was a month before the National Guard even announced that it was possible that they would deploy to Iraq, and it ended up being two months. He retired two months before they actually got the paperwork,” Bash said.
“But on CNN last night, Dana, one of the people who was actually in charge of him said they knew they were gonna deploy to Iraq in […] fall of 2004,” Vance responded. “So, he knew he was going to Iraq. He decided to quit, to retire, whatever word you want to use—”
“Retire,” Bash interjected.
“Because — whatever. Because he wanted to run for Congress. He lied about that! He said that when he decided to retire, he did not know that he was going to Iraq. That is another untruth as even his senior military officer said,” Vance told Bash.
Walz retired in May 2005, two months before his unit officially received mobilization orders, according to the Minnesota Public Radio. (RELATED: ‘She Has No Ideas’: Trump Calls Out Kamala Harris For ‘Copying’ Key Campaign Promise)
Vance first accused Walz of “stolen valor” Wednesday while citing remarks the Minnesota governor made about carrying weapons of war in a war from a video posted on X Tuesday by Harris’s campaign headquarters.
