The following editorial ran in today’s Moscow-Pulllman Daily News.
Walz’s long history of misleading statements has rightfully led to accusations of “stolen valor.” Someone who repeatedly lies to make himself appear more distinguished and qualified has no business being one heartbeat away from the presidency. His exaggerations—from claiming combat experience he never had, to falsely presenting himself as a Command Sergeant Major—undermine his credibility and honor. How can we trust a leader who manipulates his military record for personal gain?
Chris Cillizza, former MSNBC analyst and CNN commentator, praised Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz, saying: “He’s totally comfortable in his own skin. He knows who he is. He’s authentic. And he doesn’t try to be someone else. And authenticity is the coin of the realm. He oozes it.”
However, despite the legacy media’s refusal to fact-check Democrats, outlets like the Washington Free Beacon and the New York Post have stepped up to do real investigative journalism. Eventually even CNN couldn’t ignore the truth, and exposed Walz’s falsehood about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Walz claimed he visited Hong Kong in “May of ’89,” just weeks before the Tiananmen Square massacre. In a 2014 congressional hearing marking the event’s 25th anniversary, Walz, then a Minnesota congressman, recalled specific details of his trip during that time.
“As a young man, I was just going to teach high school in Foshan in Guangdong, and was in Hong Kong in May of ’89. And as the events were unfolding, several of us went in. And I still remember the train station in Hong Kong.”
Walz escalated his claims in a June 2019 radio interview, stating he was in Hong Kong on June 4, 1989, during the Tiananmen Square massacre. He recounted the aftermath, saying, “I was in Hong Kong on June 4, 1989… all outside transmissions were blocked… no phones or email… It took me a month to know the Berlin Wall had fallen when I was living there.”
Walz stuck to his story during a 2009 congressional hearing as well: “Twenty years ago today, I was in Hong Kong preparing to go to Foshan to teach at Foshan No. 1 Middle School… To watch what happened at the end of the day on June 4 was something that many of us will never forget… bearing witness and accurate telling of history is absolutely crucial for any nation to move forward.”
Walz’s Tiananmen lie has been repeated by outlets like NY Times, CBS News, and National Public Radio. During the CBS Vice-Presidential debate, when asked about it, his response was to dismiss it, calling himself a “knucklehead”.
“My community knows who I am. They saw where I was at. Look, I will be the first to tell you, I have poured my heart into my community. I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect, and I’m a knucklehead at times, but it’s always been about that. Those same people elected me to Congress for twelve years.”
When pressed by CBS about the discrepancies in his statements, Walz claimed he “misspoke” and repeated his defense, saying, “I got there that summer and misspoke on this.” He then added, “I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests… and from that, I learned a lot about governance.”
How convenient that Walz seems to “misspeak” every time his career’s on the line:
“Serving in War”: Walz has repeatedly misrepresented his military record, stating, “I carried weapons of war that I carried in war,” despite never being deployed to a combat zone.
“Retired Command Sergeant Major”: Walz repeatedly claimed to have retired as a Command Sergeant Major (E-9), but he actually retired as a Master Sergeant (E-8) after failing to complete coursework. These have lead to accusations from veterans that his claims about combat experience and rank are dishonorable.
1995 DUI: In 2006, Walz misled voters by blaming his 1995 DUI on hearing loss from his military service. Court records, however, show he was driving 96 mph with a BAC of 0.128. Given that BAC level and the speed, he should have been dismissed from the National Guard.
To preserve the honor of public service, we must hold our leaders accountable for their words and actions. Walz’s false claims about retiring as a Command Sergeant Major and implying combat experience he never had aren’t just exaggerations—they’re dishonorable and erode the trust we expect from our leaders. As a Navy veteran who served 20 years without seeing combat, I deeply value the integrity and honesty expected of our leaders and fellow service members. Veterans who sacrificed in real combat deserve better. We don’t need someone who manipulates his military record for personal gain standing one step away from being Commander in Chief. These discrepancies cast doubt on his credibility and the trust placed in him by the public.