Winsome Sears deeply ‘upset’ over Walz combat claim: ‘You never were in war’

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA) criticized Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) for his past comments on his National Guard service, arguing Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 running mate has “never” faced combat in war.

A 2018 clip of Walz shared by the Harris campaign showed the governor speaking against gun violence and stating that “weapons of war, that I carried in war” only belong in war zones, a statement some have taken to imply that he served in combat. However, Walz himself has never served in a combat zone, with Sears, a Marine veteran, stating many families of veterans who died in combat are likely joining her in being very “upset” and “offended” over Walz’s comment.

“So forget about me. These families and those service members who were in actual combat, who suffered so much, they’re suffering from PTSD. We have a suicide crisis among our veterans who served in combat,” Sears said on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime, guest-hosted by Outnumbered co-host Kayleigh McEnany. “And for this man, who never served a day in combat, to talk about weapons that he carried in war? When did that ever happen, sir? And to take on a rank you never earned? Why are you doing that? Oh, what a tangled web they weave when they first practice to deceive.” 

Sears added she heard Walz had served honorably “until he got into the war part,” referring to how he left the National Guard before pursuing a congressional run. Former Minnesota National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin, Walz’s superior, has stated that Walz used “a backdoor process” to exit the military, which he used shortly before deployment.

“You never were in war. Don’t go there,” Sears said regarding Walz.

Sears was also asked how the Republican Party could win the state of Virginia in the 2024 election, which has not been won by the party since 2004. The lieutenant governor argued that the focus should be on “policy, policy, policy” and that Harris needs to be asked how she would make the United States energy independent and what her plans are to address inflation.

In June, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) argued the strategy to win Virginia in the Election College is by losing northern Virginia “less badly.” He contended that this strategy helped him in the gubernatorial election in 2021, when he achieved an upset victory against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Earlier this month, Youngkin issued an executive order to codify Virginia’s “election security procedures,” stressing the need to “protect legal voters and accurate counts” ahead of the November election. Former President Donald Trump praised the Virginia governor’s steps to secure the election, as he has routinely argued he did not legitimately lose the 2020 election.

Due to Virginia governors being limited to just one term, Youngkin will not be able to seek reelection in 2025. A poll released in April found that Sears is the favorite to succeed Youngkin, getting a 28-percentage-point lead over Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA).