Watch: Tim Walz Falsely Labels Himself ‘Retired Command Sergeant Major’ in Speech to Veterans

A video has surfaced showing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referring to himself as a “retired Command Sergeant Major” in a speech he gave to veterans back in 2006 – a false label that he was not permitted to use.

“I’m Tim Walz and I’m running for Congress in Minnesota’s first congressional district,” he said to the crowd. “I’m a retired Command Sergeant Major. I spent 24 years in the Army National Guard. I spent the better part of two decades as a public school teacher. I’m a small business owner, I’m a father, and I’m a husband.” [Emphasis added]

While Walz’s service in the U.S. National Guard remains undisputed, his use of the rank “retired Command Sergeant Major” has sparked accusations of stolen valor as well as his claims to have carried weapons “in war,” even though he never served in war or a combat zone. As Breitbart News reported, Walz “listed on his official biography a higher military rank than the one he ultimately retired with, drawing criticism from some veterans”:

Walz served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and retired at the rank of master sergeant, or an E-8. However, on his official website bio, he lists a higher rank that he served at for a short period that ultimately was rescinded, as he did not complete all the requirements to serve at that rank. However, his bio implies that he retired at the rank of command sergeant major, or an E-9.

After reports surfaced questioning his use of rank, the Kamala Harris campaign altered its official website’s biography of Walz by removing its reference to him as a “retired command sergeant major” and only noting that he once served at the command sergeant major rank.

A viral video, which the Kamala HQ account on X originally shared on Wednesday, featured Walz touting gun control before saying he carried a weapon in war:

I spent 25 years in the Army, and I hunt … I’ve been voting for common-sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can do CDC research … We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at. [Emphasis added]

The Kamala HQ account repeated his claim in the post sharing the clip.

A subsequent report from the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday also claimed that Walz had previously presented himself as a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Per Breitbart News:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who is facing accusations of stolen valor, allegedly falsely claimed in a previous press release that he was a veteran of Afghanistan.

In a 2006 press release issued by his campaign, Walz was described as being a “veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.”

The war in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was called Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website. The operation’s start came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“Democrat Tim Walz will spend Sunday, Feb. 19th and Monday, Feb. 20th traveling across Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District as he formally announces his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives,” the press release said. “Walz, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and longtime Mankato educator is unopposed for the DFL endorsement and is slated to challenge Rep. Gil Gutknecht in November of 2006.”

A photo at the time featured Walz at an anti-President George W. Bush protest in which he was seen carrying a sign that read, “Enduring Freedom Veterans for [John] Kerry.”

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.