Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) falsely claimed he is a “retired Command Sergeant Major” in a resurfaced 2009 video the then-Congressman recorded for soldiers from his own former division deploying to Iraq.
The video emerged after Kamala Harris’s campaign scrubbed vice-presidential nominee Walz’s official bio, removing its reference to Waltz retiring as a command sergeant major in the National Guard amid ongoing scandal.
As Breitbart’s Kristina Wong reported, Walz’s “rank was reduced to master sergeant since he did not finish the requirements to retire as a command sergeant major. Despite this, he has boasted about retiring as a command sergeant major on multiple occasions.”
Walz recorded the message for the division he says he served in before retirement.
In the 15-year-old video, Walz says, “As a 24-year veteran of the national guard and the Red Bull Division, and a” – he paused – “retired Command Sergeant Major, I’m especially proud of you.”
2009. Congressman Tim Walz sends a farewell message to some soldiers actually deploying to Iraq.
In the message, Walz claims that he is a “retired Command Sergeant Major.”
Lying about one’s rank in a farewell message to soldiers deploying is about as dishonorable as it gets. pic.twitter.com/f7AIqPK8ky
— MAZE (@mazemoore) August 8, 2024
Walz’s false claim made to soldiers in the division he served in – in addition to his pause before making the claim – are particularly resonant in a scandal quickly escalating for Democrats.
In addition to media bombardment, Harris’s ticket mate has received heavy criticism this week from many of those he served with – and not just for stolen valor.
As Wong reported, “There are also accusations by veterans who served with Walz that he — as the top enlisted soldier in his unit — abandoned them right as they were preparing to deploy to Iraq at the peak of the war.” Additionally, Walz has suggested on multiple occasions that he carried weapons into war — including in a video shared by the Harris campaign — despite having never served in combat.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.