Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday that he just misspoke when he said he carried “weapons of war,” while serving in the Minnesota National Guard, despite not being deployed overseas to a combat zone.
“Yeah,” Mr. Walz said when asked if he misstated his service, adding that he was speaking in the context of a school shooting when talking about “weapons of war.”
The governor cited what he called his passion around the issue of guns.
He said his wife tells him that his grammar isn’t always correct, but he dismissed the criticism as politically motivated.
“But again, if it’s not this, it’s an attack on my children for showing love for me or it’s an attack on my dog,” he said.
Mr. Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, served in the Army National Guard from 1981 to 2005, said he would never demean another member’s service.
Earlier this month, the Harris campaign said Mr. Walz “misspoke” during a 2018 campaign event when he said he handled assault weapons in war. He also misstated his rank at retirement and there have been other examples in his biography of shading the truth in a favorable direction.
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who served in the Marine Corps, accused Mr. Walz of “stolen valor.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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