Walz's "Weapons of War" Claim Debunked by Fact-Checkers

Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz's claim that he once carried weapons of war "in war" has been refuted by Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler, who found no evidence that Walz served in combat.

Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler has shredded Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz's, D-Minn., claim that he once carried weapons of war "in war." Kessler's analysis piece of Walz's military service record found no evidence that the governor served in combat, and therefore could not have carried weapons in a combat theater.

Walz made the controversial claim during a 2018 town hall meeting, where he advocated for gun control policies. In a clip of the meeting, which the Harris campaign shared on social media earlier this week, Walz told an audience, "I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt… And I tell you what I have been doing. 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 we don’t have reciprocal carry among states. And we can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at."

Walz's "Weapons of War" Claim Debunked by Fact-Checkers

Kessler's fact-check, published on Friday, took issue with Walz's claim, stating, "There is no evidence that Walz served in combat — and he has not claimed he did. He did receive ribbons for proficiency in sharpshooting and hand grenades, according to military records obtained through an open records request by MPR News."

The Washington Post fact-checker also noted that a Harris campaign spokesperson admitted that "the governor misspoke."

Walz's "Weapons of War" Claim Debunked by Fact-Checkers

Kessler rendered his final assessment of Walz’s words, saying, "Walz’s language was sloppy and false. He did carry weapons of war — just not in war."

Walz's claim has been widely criticized by political opponents, social media critics, and even liberal media networks. GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance led the Republican attacks on Walz's "in war" claims. He asked on Wednesday, "Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? When was this? What was this weapon that you carried into war?" He then went on to say that Walz "has not spent a day in a combat zone."

Walz's "Weapons of War" Claim Debunked by Fact-Checkers

CNN correspondent Tom Foreman fact-checked the line on Wednesday, saying there "is no evidence that at any time Governor Walz was in the position of being shot at, and some of his language could easily be seen to suggest that he was. So that is absolutely false when he said that about gun rights out there."

Walz's campaign has defended the governor's comments, saying he "would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country." The statement also said that "in making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke."

Despite the campaign's defense, Walz's claim has been widely condemned as inaccurate and misleading. Fact-checkers have found no evidence to support his assertion that he carried weapons of war "in war," and critics have accused him of attempting to embellish his military record.