Minnesota National Guard Sergeant Major Thomas Behrens, a retired Army commander in chief, blasted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, for misleading voters about his military service on “Fox & Friends Weekend” Saturday.
Claims about Waltz's military service and when he retired in 2005 have come under fire since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Waltz as her running mate on Tuesday. The Harris and Waltz campaign websites have amended an earlier description of Waltz as a “retired master sergeant” to say he “served as an honorary sergeant.”
Behrens slammed Walz as an “unforgivable coward” for resigning before troops were deployed to Iraq.
“This is like a coach coaching a team for 25 years and finally making it to the Super Bowl and then the Super Bowl comes around and the coach says, 'No, I'm done. I'm done.' What kind of message does a command sergeant major send to his unit? I mean, command sergeants are important. They block the sun. They're the most important NCOs in the unit. What kind of message does a command sergeant major send when he preemptively declines to deploy?” asked Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth.
“The message this sends to me is turn around and run, and keep running — that means get under a rock, get the hell out of here, nobody wants to mention your name ever again, you're tainted — you're a traitor, at that point you're a deserter,” Berens said.
“The knowledge I had at that point was very helpful. I talked to my family and I thought this was like training for the Super Bowl, and then there's one game left and Tom Brady says, 'Um, sorry, I don't want to get hurt in the game, so you play instead.' That's just ridiculous,” Berens told Hegseth. (Related: 'Just be a regular white guy!': CNN panelist urges Democrats to exclude celebrities from DNC)
Waltz retired in May 2005, two months before the unit received orders to mobilize. According to To Minnesota Public Radio.
Behrens told Hegseth that about 98 to 99 percent of the people deployed after Waltz left felt the same way.
“There are a few people who will step up and say, 'How could that guy do this?' But he did it himself,” Berens said.
“I'm just a preacher. God sent a message,” he continued, “and I just happened to be the person to whom God said, 'You're too stupid to keep quiet, so spread the word.'
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio accused Walz of “stealing my reputation” at a campaign event on Wednesday. Vance cited Walz's comments about carrying weapons of war in wars. video The Harris campaign headquarters posted on X on Tuesday.
