- 'I'm not criticizing his time in the Army. I'm criticizing the way that he got out'
Gov. Tim Walz should not be allowed to serve as vice president because of mischaracterizations he made about his time in the military, Sen. J.D. Vance said during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania on Thursday.
The Republican vice presidential candidate continued to berate his Democratic counterpart by claiming Walz is 'insulting' troops with his lies.
And he slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for trying to turn around the news cycle by 'playing victim' and accusing Republicans of attacking her running mate's 'honorable' time in the Army and National Guard.
'We're not attacking his honorable service, we're attacking the dishonesty about that service that is not honorable,' Vance insisted at a campaign stop about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. 'That is the height of dishonor, and Tim Walz should not be the vice president of the United States because of it.'
Speaking with reporters aboard Trump Force Two later on Thursday, Vance doubled down and said talking about Walz's service is 'fair game' because he 'embellished' details over the course of 15 years.
Sen. J.D. Vance tore into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's 'lies' about his military service during a campaign event at VFW Post 92 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania on Thursday
'[Harris] selected this guy, and they presumably have vetted the guy. And now when obvious lies and embellishments are coming to the forefront, they're trying to hide and say, 'no, no, you can't criticize his service.' Nobody's criticizing his service,' Vance said.
'I'm not criticizing his time in the Army,' he continued. 'I'm criticizing the way that he got out. I'm criticizing the fact that he lied and said he went to war when he didn't. And I'm criticizing the fact that he embellished multiple parts of his record in multiple media interviews over a 15 year-period.'
'I think it's totally fair game because I think it reflects on his integrity,' Vance said. 'And more importantly I think it reflects on Kamala Harris' judgment.'
After becoming a member at local VFW Post 92 on Thursday morning, the Ohio senator hyped up a mostly veteran crowd by tearing into Walz on the third anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps veteran also held a moment of silence for the 13 fallen service members at the top of his remarks.
Joined by four other politicians who are also combat veterans, Vance rallied even more distaste against Walz and painted a picture of a better life for current and former troops under a Trump-Vance administration.
Vance and other Republicans are jumping on comments Walz made that appeared to embellish what he did during his time in the service, including claiming that he carried weapons of war 'in war.
The Harris-Walz campaign claims that their VP contender misspoke and slams Republicans for their attacks aimed at his time in service.
!['[Harris] selected this guy, and they presumably have vetted the guy. And now when obvious lies and embellishments are coming to the forefront, they're trying to hide and say, 'no, no, you can't criticize his service.' Nobody's criticizing his service,' Vance told press onboard Trump Force Two on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/15/22/88569803-13747523-_Harris_selected_this_guy_and_they_presumably_have_vetted_the_gu-a-69_1723757857648.jpg)
'[Harris] selected this guy, and they presumably have vetted the guy. And now when obvious lies and embellishments are coming to the forefront, they're trying to hide and say, 'no, no, you can't criticize his service.' Nobody's criticizing his service,' Vance told press onboard Trump Force Two on Thursday
Vance shows off his new VFW Post 92 membership card at a rally in New Kensington, Pennsylvania on Thursday, August 15
J.D. Vance and wife Usha share a smoosh before his remarks in Pennsylvania
'Let's just summarize the truth,' Vance said at his rally. 'Tim Walz said that he carried a weapon in war. He never went to war. Tim Walz said that he didn't know his unit was about to deploy to Iraq, when even his own press release at the time said that he knew exactly that. Tim Walz claimed to be a Command Sergeant Major, even had it printed on his challenge coins, and he knew he never achieved that rank.'
'And now, Kamala Harris, showing terrible judgment, has decided that her way out of this political problem is to claim that she and Tim Walz are the victims,' Vance lamented to jeers from the Pennsylvania crowd.
'I think the victims are the veterans who are having their service disparaged because the guy who wants to be their vice president is lying instead of telling the truth. I think those are the real victims.'
