Fox News' Pete Hegseth smears Tim Walz’s military record

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

From the August 8, 2024, edition of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle

PETE HEGSETH (GUEST): All I know is — I wrote a book recently, The War on Warriors, about what's happening to our military. The only people I cared about read that book were the guys I served with. I said, "Read it, guys. Let me know. I want to make sure everything's right." And that matters the most to me. He can't look a single guy he served with in the eye. 

And that's why all the guys he served with are coming out and calling him out. Remember Swift Vote Veterans for Truth? At least John Kerry went there and then threw his medals in the river. He didn't even go. National Guard Members for Truth, saying he was AWOL, Tim AWOLs when we needed him and he doesn't deserve to be on this ticket. I think this is a real problem because they can't answer these questions. 

Contrary to Hegseth's absurd claims about being AWOL, Walz retired after 24 years of service:

Right-wing media are reviving old smears pushed by political rivals of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about his retirement from the military, accusing him of “stolen valor” and misleading their audience about the reality of his 24-year service record with the National Guard. Specifically, right-wing media are claiming that Walz resigned and “abandoned” his National Guard unit and resigned after the unit received deployment orders to go to Iraq when in reality, Walz resigned two months before the unit received orders, and Walz likely submitted his retirement papers even earlier.

According to a copy of his service record obtained by Military.com, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1981 and reached the rank of command sergeant major before retiring in 2005, following a reenlistment after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Walz retired honorably as a master sergeant — a lower rank than command sergeant major — since he did not complete all of the necessary coursework for the higher rank before his service ended. Walz went on to successfully campaign for Congress, where he served for multiple terms, helping veterans exposed to toxins during their military service, sponsoring a veterans suicide prevention bill, and advocating for more GI Bill benefits.