Walz’s retirement from the military in 2005 has come under scrutiny since he was selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 running mate, with some stating he retired after he was notified his unit would be deployed to Iraq. Tom Behrends, one of the veterans in Walz’s unit, told journalist Megyn Kelly that Walz’s campaign had released a statement in March 2005 that he was seeking a congressional run, even though he had already been notified of his deployment.

TIM WALZ’S POLITICAL ORIGIN STORY DOES NOT ADD UP

“From what I’m hearing, the leadership of the state pretty much knew something was going to be going on in the summer of ‘04, and then in the fall of ‘04, brigade and division and battalion leadership, you know, there’s no evidence for sure that we know that we knew, but that’s how it usually works, it’s that the senior leadership knows ahead of time in a meeting that’s classified,” Behrends said on The Megyn Kelly Show. 

Walz has also been facing accusations of stolen valor amid his claims on the 2024 campaign trail that he is a retired command sergeant major. However, he did not complete the necessary requirements for this position and was reverted back to master sergeant for benefits purposes upon his departure.

Paul Herr, another veteran of Walz’s unit, stated that Walz’s discharge document from the National Guard showed that he was “conditionally promoted” to sergeant major on May 1, 2005, and then retired about two weeks later on May 16. He added that it is possible Walz held this position for “zero days” because the drill time may not have occurred during the two weeks between achieving this rank and his retirement.

“It’s just one habitual lie after another, and they keep piling up, and eventually, there’s not enough blankets to cover it up,” Herr said.

Both Herr and Behrends spoke harshly of Walz’s departure from the military, with the former arguing he was a “coward” for taking “the path of least resistance.” Behrends stated that Walz “slithered” out of the military before walking “into the sunset.”

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate and a Marine veteran, has been vocal in criticizing Walz’s military retirement before Congress, stating he “did go to Iraq when my country asked me” and that he is proud of his service.

Ahead of the 2024 election, recent polling data indicate that Walz has a 44% favorable rating from respondents, compared to Vance’s 32% favorable rating in the same poll. The two will meet on Oct. 1 for the vice presidential debate, three weeks after Trump and Harris debate each other on Sept. 10.