Vance attacks Walz at local Pennsylvania VFW Post

In his second visit to Pennsylvania since becoming the GOP nominee for vice president, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) on Thursday continued his criticism of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military record at a VFW hall in Westmoreland County.

“We’re not attacking his honorable service,” Vance told the invitation-only gathering at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell. “We’re attacking the dishonesty about that service that is not honorable, that is the height of dishonor, and Tim Walz should not be the vice president of the United States because of it.”

Walz, who is the presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president, served 24 years in the National Guard. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign said Aug. 10 that Walz “misspoke” in a 2018 video when he said he had handled guns “in war.” Vance, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has since accused Walz of “stolen valor,” during campaign events, a charge he repeated Thursday.

Walz defended his military record during remarks at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union convention in Los Angeles earlier this week, saying he was “damn proud” of his service.

“I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record,” Walz said Tuesday. “Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country — including my opponent — I just have a few simple words: ‘Thank you for your service and sacrifice.’”

The Harris campaign released a statement ahead of Vance’s visit arguing that the policies of former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee for president, would have a negative impact on veterans.

“Trump and Vance’s extreme Project 2025 agenda would slash veterans’ hard-earned benefits and health care,” the Harris-Walz campaign said in a statement earlier this week. “Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz believe we should thank those who served our country, not belittle them – that’s why they’ll always fight to make sure our veterans and military families get the benefits and respect they have earned and deserve.”

Vance also criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for the U.S. 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. During the evacuation of American citizens and allies, a terrorist attack at the airport in Kabul killed 13 American service members and dozens of Afghans.

“We lost 13 brave service members we didn’t need to lose,” Vance said.

Democrats held a press conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday to push back on Vance’s criticism of Walz. Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb said he served with Walz, who represented Minnesota in the U.S. House from 2017 to 2019, on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

“The guy knows veterans’ issues and he fights for veterans,” Lamb said. Walz joined the Veterans Affairs Committee to develop legislation to help veterans, Lamb added, which he said was a “clear contrast” to Vance.

“J.D. Vance has been a senator for a year and a half. I couldn’t tell you a single piece of legislation that he has introduced to help our veterans, much less pass,” Lamb added. “I think he spends his time working on cryptocurrency and going on podcasts. So the question in this election coming up, it’s not who was GI Joe in the war, it’s who’s going to fight for the GI Bill? What are you going to do for veterans tomorrow and next year and five years from now?”

J.D. Vance bashes Harris, Walz during campaign stop in south Philly

Pennsylvania election landscape

Despite losing Pennsylvania in 2020, Trump won Westmoreland County, where Lower Burrell is located, by 28 points over the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket.

A Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released Wednesday found the Harris-Walz ticket with a slight edge over Trump-Vance in Pennsylvania, at 48% to 45%. The poll also found Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been a contender to be Harris’ running mate, with a 59% approval rating.

On the topic of running mates, the Quinnipiac poll found 59% of likely voters who support Harris said her pick of Walz made them “more enthusiastic” about her candidacy, with 43% of likely voters who support Trump saying his selection of Vance made them more enthusiastic.

Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a press release of the poll results that “The long-term impact is speculation, but the math is clear: Walz helps Harris a lot more than Vance helps Trump.”

Trump will be in Pennsylvania on Saturday for a rally in Wilkes-Barre, and Harris and Walz are kicking off a Pennsylvania bus tour in Pittsburgh on Sunday, a day before the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

This article was updated at 5:40 p.m. Aug. 15, 2024 to add comment from former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and X.