US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has come to the defense of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz regarding his military career. Buttigieg, a former Naval Reserve officer, expressed his disapproval of GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance's criticism of Walz over the weekend.
Buttigieg stated that as a veteran himself, he finds it unacceptable for one veteran to disparage another. He emphasized the importance of respecting and honoring the service of all veterans.
The controversy surrounding Walz's military record stemmed from a recently resurfaced video from 2018 in which Walz mentioned handling assault weapons 'in war.' However, it was clarified that Walz misspoke in the video and that he did not serve in a combat zone during his 24-year tenure in the Army National Guard.
Buttigieg highlighted the extensive service of Walz, noting that retiring after 20 years is common practice, but Walz served for 24 years. He defended Walz's overall record, stating that the focus on a single slip-up from 2018 does not accurately represent Walz's commitment to precision and accuracy in his statements.
Buttigieg, who served as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserves with a deployment to Afghanistan, underscored the need to uphold the integrity of veterans' service records and to refrain from engaging in unwarranted attacks on their military backgrounds.
