Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is one of the finest people I’ve known in politics. He’s a leader of integrity, honor, humility and fight. He’s also a veteran who cares deeply about the well-being of his fellow veterans. Which is why it’s enraging and sad to watch Ohio senator and fellow veteran JD Vance and Team Trump attempt to smear his military record and accuse him of “stolen valor.”
“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him — a fact that he’s been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people that he served with,” Vance, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, said Wednesday.
Building on this experience, Walz has dedicated his political career to helping other veterans.
The truth is that Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 and retired honorably before his run for Congress in 2005. As an artilleryman, Walz “served overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was the highest-ranking enlisted National Guard Soldier in southern Minnesota when he retired from 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery in 2005,” according to the U.S. Army.
Building on this experience, Walz has dedicated his political career to helping other veterans. As the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, veterans had no finer and more tenacious advocate than Walz. Every veteran service organization and veteran leader knows he is one of our own, and that we could always count on him. He knows how to get things done in Washington and for his communities. And he always has our back, from the new GI Bill expansion way back in 2008 to the Clay Hunt SAV Act in 2016 to countless fights in between.
The Democrats had to pick a veteran. And they picked one whom everyone knows, respects and trusts. (And one Rep. Nancy Pelosi and other key party leaders know, respect and trust.) Walz is a patriotic, down to earth and lovable bulldog.
If the Democrats weren’t going to pick a Republican or true independent — or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — I believe Walz is their best chance to win. Pew research from 2022 showed “about two-thirds of Republicans and Republican leaners (66%) say they like political leaders who have military experience,” with men generally more likely to regard military service as a positive.
Walz still embodies the spirit of his high school football coaching career. He knows how to spot talent, support teammates, make people better, rally diverse groups and encourage a team to victory. And he’s a fighter. Especially in hard times.
The loss of his brother Craig in 2016 was an unthinkable tragedy. But Walz rallied his family through it — like he can rally our country through all this pain and uncertainty now. He understands suffering, he understands working people, he understands national security, he understands America.
And he understands how to punch back.
He’s also more liberal than me (and plenty of other Americans), and that will surely challenge him with independents and moderates. And with Walz and Harris together, the Democrats are going to have to fight incredibly hard to show they’re more moderate than the narrative suggests.
Republicans are already weaponizing the fact that Walz was Sen. Bernie Sanders’ preferred pick.
And now, they’re pulling one of their oldest, nastiest and most effective plays out of the playbook, by attacking Walz’s service.
The Harris-Walz campaign was clearly not ready for the Swift boat attacks — but they were entirely predictable. Details, military records and validators who know Walz and the truth should have been buttoned up in advance, ready at the announcement, and shared with the public and media. Unfortunately, they were not.
This is an unnecessary communications and strategy failure, and a reflection of a deeper lack of military and veterans cultural competency in the Democratic Party. This problem also exists in the GOP (to a lesser degree) and indeed all across our society. And it is an important reminder that we need more veterans across the political, media, education and business ecosystem. But the lack of representation — and resulting ignorance — is especially painful in politics. Just ask former Sens. Jim Webb (Virginia) or Bob Kerrey (Nebraska). The Trump campaign hired Chris LaCivita — a longtime political operative who led the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” back in 2004 and helped sink Vietnam veteran John Kerry’s campaign — months ago. There’s no reason why Democrats should have been caught flat-footed this time around. Indeed, whether the Swift boat attacks are fair or not, the Harris-Walz campaign should have been more prepared for battle. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Now the campaign (and Walz himself), need to get a plan together, be transparent, clear and forceful, and make up the ground lost. And, where they can, counterattack smartly. This is the first battle of its kind for this new Democratic ticket. But it definitely won’t be the last. Every vote and foot of political ground taken is critical to victory. Especially with veterans — and especially with independent veterans in swing states. I’d like to live in an America where nobody attacks a veteran’s service or tries to compare one term of service to another. Every person who volunteers to wear the uniform has done something for our country that 99% of the public has not. And that should be respected — whether they’re a Navy SEAL hunting Osama Bin Laden or a cook making breakfast for other troops stateside at Fort Liberty. Service to our country is honorable. And one of the most dangerous jobs in America, whether you’re combat deployed or training back home. But we live in this America. And no matter what anyone says, Tim Walz is incredibly sincere, hard-working, tough and likable. He’s a leader of integrity and character. He’s the opposite of “weird.” And, yes, he’s funny. He will change some hearts and minds. Hopefully, enough to beat Trump. I’m just one veteran. But I’m rooting for him.
Paul Rieckhoff
Paul Rieckhoff is the founder of Independent Veterans of America, the host of "Independent Americans," president of Righteous Media, the author of “Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq, A Soldier’s Perspective” and a frequent guest on MSNBC. 
