In his second visit to Pennsylvania since becoming the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) continued his criticism of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military record Thursday at a VFW hall in Westmoreland County.
“We are not attacking his honorable service,” Vance said at an invitation-only event at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell. “We are attacking the dishonesty in that service, which is not honorable, it is the height of shame, and Tim Walz should not be vice president of the United States because of that.”
Walz, who is the presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, served 24 years in the National Guard. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign said August 10 Walz “expressed himself badly” in a 2018 video in which he said he used the gun “in war.” Vance, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, later accused Walz of “stealing valor” at campaign events, a claim he repeated Thursday.
Walz defended his military past during remarks at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees convention in Los Angeles earlier this week, saying he was “pretty damn proud” of his service.
“I believe deeply that service should never be demeaned,” Walz said Tuesday. “To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country — including my opponent — I have just a few simple words: ‘Thank you for your service and sacrifice.’”
Ahead of Vance’s visit, Harris’ campaign issued a statement saying the policies of former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, would negatively impact veterans.
“Trump and Vance’s extreme Project 2025 agenda will result in cuts to veterans’ hard-earned benefits and health care,” the Harris-Walz campaign said in a statement earlier this week. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz believe we should thank those who have served our country, not belittle them — which is why they will always fight to ensure our veterans and military families receive the benefits and respect they deserve.”
Vance also criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. While American citizens and allies were being evacuated, a terrorist attack at Kabul airport killed 13 American soldiers and dozens of Afghans.
“We lost 13 brave soldiers whose loss was unnecessary,” Vance said.
Democrats held a news conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday to push back against Vance’s criticism of Walz. Former Democratic congressman Conor Lamb said he served with Walz, who represented Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
“This guy knows veterans’ issues and he fights for veterans,” Lamb said. Walz joined the Veterans Affairs Committee to develop legislation to lend a hand veterans, Lamb added, which he said was a “stark contrast” to Vance.
“JD Vance has been a senator for a year and a half. I can’t name a single piece of legislation he’s introduced to help our veterans, much less passed it,” Lamb added. “I think he spends his time working on cryptocurrency and podcasting. So the question in the upcoming election is not who was GI Joe in the war, but who’s going to fight for the GI Bill? What are you going to do for veterans tomorrow, next year, and five years from now?”
JD Vance criticizes Harris, Walz during South Philly campaign event
Pennsylvania’s Electoral Landscape
Despite losing Pennsylvania in 2020, Trump won Westmoreland County, home to Lower Burrell, by 28 points over candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
A Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released Wednesday showed the Harris-Walz ticket with a narrow lead over Trump-Vance in Pennsylvania, 48% to 45%. The poll also showed Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was Harris’ vice presidential candidate, with 59% support.
As for the vice presidential candidates, a Quinnipiac poll found that 59% of likely voters supporting Harris said Walz’s selection made them “more enthusiastic” about her candidacy, while 43% of likely voters supporting Trump said Vance’s selection made them more enthusiastic.
Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a press release about the poll results that “the long-term impact is speculative, but the math is clear: Walz helps Harris far more than Vance helps Trump.”
Trump will arrive in Pennsylvania on Saturday for a rally in Wilkes-Barre, and Harris and Walz will begin a bus tour of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the day before the Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago.
This article was updated on August 15, 2024 at 5:40 p.m. to add comment from former U.S. Congressman Conor Lamb.
