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| - FACT CHECK: Tim Walz Speech About Visiting Afghanistan Lacks Important Context
A video shared on Facebook accuses Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of “stolen valor” for mentioning a visit to Afghanistan when in reality he was not actually deployed there.
Verdict: Misleading
Walz was referring to a congressional visit to Afghanistan, not his service record.
Fact Check:
Walz and 40-year-old Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance will meet for a vice presidential debate on Tuesday night, according to AP News. This debate is the only one planned so far and will last 90 minutes, according to CBS News.
A Facebook post accused Walz of “stolen valor” for mentioning a time he was in Afghanistan. The post shared a video of Walz giving a speech in front of banner that reads “The American Legion.”
In the video, Walz says, in part, “When I was in Afghanistan, you know what our troops were worried about? They were worried about their family’s healthcare and they were worried about their pensions. I said, ‘Do you think that’s really what you want them to be worrying about when their friends and colleagues are being shot on a daily basis?’ And yet, at the end of the day they have to worry about that.”
“‘When I was in Afghanistan,’ says the man who was never in Afghanistan. It is impossible to ‘misspeak’ about this,” the caption reads. “Nor is it a question of ‘incorrect grammar.’ This is a stolen valor involving a habitual liar.” (RELATED: Fact-Checking Walz’s Claim That Reagan Was The Last Union Member On A National Ticket)
This video lacks vital context, however. Walz gave this speech at the 2012 Washington Conference Commanders Call, which can be viewed in full in a YouTube video. In the video, Walz is introduced by an American Legion official who mentions that Walz “made a trip to visit our service members overseas,” which is what Walz later alludes to when he discusses Afghanistan.
Walz was a congressman at the time and took part in a congressional visit to Afghanistan in October 2011, according to an article on the official U.S. Army website. The visit included a tour of the Spartan Resiliency Center that focuses on rehabilitation and the Role II clinic.
Walz served for 24 years in the National Guard and retired in 2005 to focus on running for Congress, according to BBC.
Check Your Fact reached out to a Walz spokesperson for comment.
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