In an op-ed published Friday, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for exaggerating parts of his own history for “political gain.”
“I'm not saying Waltz is lying,” Parker wrote. Editorial Headline“Tim Waltz is not what he seems,” he said, “but he has a tendency to embellish his record for political gain.”
Walz has had to answer for a number of controversies that have emerged since Harris announced she would be his running mate, including his history as a member of the National Guard and comments he made during his 2006 House campaign about a 1995 drunk driving incident.
'Excellent shapeshifter' Waltz gets harsh message from Minnesota voters at state fair booth
In an op-ed published Friday, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for exaggerating parts of his own history for “political gain.” (Scott Eisen)
Parker criticized Walz for comments he made after being arrested for drunk driving in 1995.
“Waltz, then a 31-year-old high school teacher, was driving 96 miles per hour in a Nebraska speed zone with a 55 mph speed limit,” Parker wrote. “A state trooper stopped him, smelled alcohol, and required Waltz to submit to a field sobriety test, which he failed. Waltz then took a blood test at a hospital, which revealed his blood alcohol content to be .128, well above the state's legal limit.”
This information is confirmed by police records, but campaign staff for Rep. Walz's 2006 campaign told reporters that the candidate had not been drinking and that his hearing loss prevented him from understanding the police officers' commands, blaming injuries sustained during his time in the National Guard.
Parker also spoke to Waltz on CNN alongside Harris.
Parental rights advocate says Walz's abortion, religious freedom policies are 'on par with China and North Korea'
Veterans who served with Waltz in the same battalion during their time in the National Guard have spoken out against his honesty about his military history. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“Their quick morning talk may reassure unprepared viewers, but it doesn't provide them with the content they need to become more informed voters,” Parker wrote. “The pair's first (taped) interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday night did nothing to satisfy that need. Harris handled the interview relatively well, while Walz appeared confused.”
“He refused to answer any of the four questions he was asked, including whether he'd made a gaffe by saying he'd carried a gun 'in war' when he'd never been deployed to a combat zone,” Parker wrote. “A simple 'yes' would have been enough, but instead he spouted off a litany of evasive nonsense and, rhetorically speaking, gibberish.”
Veterans who served with Waltz in the same battalion during their time in the National Guard have spoken out against his honesty about his military history.
The Harris-Waltz campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Click here to get the FOX News app
