Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign escalated its stolen valor scandal Thursday by scrubbing its reference to vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) rank.
The campaign altered its official website’s biography of Walz, removing its reference to him as a “retired command sergeant major” to instead note he once served at the command sergeant major rank, Politico reported.
WATCH — CNN’s Coates: Walz Stolen Valor Charge Is “Deflection” from Gun Control Discussion:
The shocking decision escalates the scandal from denial to damage control for the reeling campaign.
As Breitbart’s Kristina Wong reported, “[Walz] has claimed that he is a retired command sergeant major, but his rank was reduced to master sergeant since he did not finish the requirements to retire as a command sergeant major. Despite this, he has boasted about retiring as a command sergeant major on multiple occasions.”
Walz’s official campaign bio now describes him “rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major” but does not mention his rank was reduced before retirement.
Walz fled the scene Wednesday after being questioned whether or not he lied about his military resume, abandoning Harris in a tarmac photo op as he rushed toward a fleet of black SUVs.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wave as they board Air Force Two at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport on August 7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Additional scandals related to Walz’s military service claims throughout his political career have thrown the campaign’s rollout of its vice-presidential nominee into chaos.
As Wong reported, “There are also accusations by veterans who served with Walz that he — as the top enlisted soldier in his unit — abandoned them right as they were preparing to deploy to Iraq at the peak of the war.”
Walz has also suggested on multiple occasions that he carried weapons into war — including in a video shared by the Harris campaign — despite having never served in a combat.
Gov. @Tim_Walz: 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 research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war,… pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024
The Harris campaign has not answered why Walz falsely claimed to be “in war,” or addressed the stolen valor accusations plaguing Walz.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions on Wednesday when asked about the scandal.
“This is someone who enlisted at 17 years old to serve his country. He was part of the Army National Guard for 24 years. This is someone who was a high school teacher, a high school coach, as well, who grew up in a small town in the Midwest, and, so, I think his bio speaks for itself, who he is speaks for itself, his record speaks for itself, and I’m just not going to say anything beyond that,” she said.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
