Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) criticized former President Trump, saying he “knows nothing about military service,” amid ongoing debate over his military record during his election campaign.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Walz said he was proud to have worn “the uniform of this country” for 24 years.
“You all talk about service, and Donald Trump knows nothing about service,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to serve others when you’re only thinking about yourself.”
Trump has been criticized for dodging the draft, having been granted five deferments during the Vietnam War, one for medical reasons and four for educational reasons.
Trump said: Post on TruthSocial Earlier this week, he slammed Walz as a “disgrace” while commenting on an opinion piece criticizing his military record.
The former president’s new running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), criticized Waltz for leaving the military before the troops were deployed, a decision that members of Congress who served under Waltz say was made before he received orders to deploy.
Waltz has also been criticized for allegedly inflating his rank when he retired and for claiming to have carried weapons in wars when he never saw combat.
Military veterans in Congress are backing one side or the other in the vice presidential contest over the military records of the two candidates.
Minnesota’s governor said Saturday that the GI Bill, which helps soldiers pay for college, helped him continue his education.
During campaign rallies this week, Walz criticized both Trump and Vance.
Walz said the former president was “stuck” and responsible for deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that his delayed response to the virus “devastated” the economy.
“They’re going to restrict our freedoms, and when they do, they’re going to do what they’ve done before: rig the economy so the middle class gets nothing and the wealthy get even richer,” Walz said. “If this guy gets a second chance, not only will he pick up where he left off, he’ll do it even worse than he did last time.”
