Let's dive into a recent spat that’s stirring up quite a bit of attention in political circles. It all began when Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio and a former Marine, fired back at CNN over some comments that questioned his military service. This back-and-forth involves some big names and plenty of heated words, so let's break it down.
So, here's the scene: CNN anchor Brianna Keilar took a swipe at Vance, suggesting he might be an "imperfect messenger" to criticize Minnesota Governor Tim Walz about his military record. What’s the deal? Well, Vance served as a combat correspondent during the Iraq War, and Keilar implied that this role might mislead people into thinking he was directly involved in combat.
Brianna this is disgusting, and you and your entire network should be ashamed of yourselves.
When I got the call to go to Iraq, I went.
Tim Walz said he carried a gun in a war. Did he? No. It was a lie. https://t.co/kt0oxzZb83
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 8, 2024
Vance didn’t take this lightly. He hopped on social media, specifically X (formerly Twitter), to express his outrage. He called Keilar’s comments “disgusting” and said both she and CNN should be ashamed. He emphasized that when he was called to Iraq, he answered that call, unlike Walz, who, according to Vance, misrepresented his own service by claiming he carried a gun in a war zone—a claim Vance labeled as a lie.
Now, let’s switch gears to Governor Walz. Walz served over two decades in the Army National Guard and was part of Operation Enduring Freedom after 9/11. However, according to reports, including those from The New York Times and CBS News, Walz wasn’t deployed to a combat zone. Despite this, a video shared by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign showed Walz claiming he carried weapons “in war,” a statement that’s been under intense scrutiny.
Gov. @Tim_Walz: I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I’ve been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war,… pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024
CNN’s Tom Foreman weighed in, reporting there’s “no evidence” Walz was ever in a situation where he was “being shot at,” which contradicts the impression that Walz might have left with his statements. In the midst of this controversy, Harris’s campaign even tweaked a biography of Walz, changing his description from “retired command sergeant major” to clarifying that he once served at that rank.
To add another layer to this drama, Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, a former Green Beret, chimed in. He pointed out that Walz had been promoted to sergeant major but didn’t complete the sergeant major’s academy, leading to what he called a “demotion” to master sergeant.
Vance didn’t stop there—he took the opportunity during an appearance in Michigan to criticize Walz further, calling the situation “stolen valor garbage.” He said if he were in Walz’s shoes, he’d be ashamed for allegedly lying about his military service.