Kamala Harris Finally Responds to Claims That Tim Walz Abandoned National Guard Unit Before Iraq Deployment
Vice President Kamala Harris had nothing but “praise” for her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz when questioned about his service in the National Guard Thursday.
Harris, 59, was asked by a reporter to respond to criticism that Walz “deserted his own troops, deserted his own colleagues” when he opted to retire from the Minnesota National Guard in May 2005, as his battalion was preparing to deploy to the Iraq warzone.
“Listen, I praise anyone who has presented themselves to serve our country,” Harris said. “And I think that we all should.”
Walz, 60, served 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard before retiring to run for the House of Representatives in the state’s 1st Congressional District. He unseated incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in that race, in which Walz made his opposition to the Iraq war a centerpiece of his campaign.
The Minnesota governor joined the National Guard after high school and had served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery prior to his retirement. (Read more from “Kamala Harris Finally Responds to Claims That Tim Walz Abandoned National Guard Unit Before Iraq Deployment ” HERE)
