Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) defended Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military service in an interview Sunday, calling attacks on the governor’s record a “desperate political smear campaign.”
Asked in an interview with Chris Styrewalt on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” whether Waltz misrepresented his job duties, Auchincloss said, “No, he didn’t.”
“The attacks from Trump and Vance are simply a desperate political smear campaign,” Auchincloss said. “They’re in meltdown. They’ve insulted women. They’ve insulted police. And now they’re insulting veterans.”
Walz has come under intense scrutiny in recent days as Republican attacks intensify over his decision to retire before his troops deploy to Iraq.
Auchincloss, who led Marine combat troops in Afghanistan, defended Waltz’s decisions and his service.
“Let’s state the facts: Tim Walz served with honor for 24 years. He deployed many times to disaster zones. Four years from retirement, he was faced with a difficult decision: run for Congress or deploy with his unit to Iraq. He decided he could do more for veterans in Congress, and he did. “As the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, he worked to expand and strengthen the VETERANS’ AID Act and he also worked to expand access to mental health services,” he said.
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