From his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to his handling of the George Floyd protests, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) has met some scrutiny from conservatives since being announced as Vice President Kamala Harris' (D) running mate. Talk has now shifted to his military background, and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) argues that "he has some explaining to do." Democrats have come to Governor Walz's defense, questioning Ohio Senator J.D. Vance's (R) military background, but Rep. Waltz is calling on Governor Walz to provide answers on his service.
Over the course of his career, Governor Walz has highlighted his military service, often referring to himself as a Sergeant Major. However, recent findings have led to questions about his military background.
Rep. Waltz shared this week that he had reviewed the reports about Governor Walz's military record, and some questions linger.
"He was promoted to Sergeant Major, but then in order to stay in that rank, you have to complete certain training," Rep. Waltz explained. "You have to complete the Sergeant Major's academy, which he never did, so he was subsequently demoted to Master Sergeant before he retired."
However, the Florida Republican brought up "the bigger issue," accusing Governor Walz of "walking away from his soldiers after they had been called to go to Iraq."
Referencing his own time as a Green Beret, Rep. Waltz recounted that he commanded Green Berets. "Everything that you do prepares you for that moment when you have to lead your men and women into harm's way. It's kind of like the quarterback of a big team walking away from their team right before they go to the Super Bow."
"I've never heard anything like it, especially the fact that he was a command Sergeant Major," Rep. Waltz further commented, calling on the media to "ask these tough questions."
