Tim Walz sure seems to have a knack for, shall we say, “embellishing” his past. It’s almost becoming a hobby for him, if his track record is anything to go by.
First, there was the rather scandalous incident of what looks suspiciously like stolen valor. Walz, who conveniently left the Minnesota National Guard just before they were deployed to Iraq, has made claims about his military service that don’t exactly hold up under scrutiny. He even went so far as to suggest he had seen combat—much to the chagrin of his former chaplain and fellow servicemembers who are probably scratching their heads at this one.
Then there’s the curious case of Walz spinning a tale about his children being conceived through IVF, supposedly to highlight how Republicans are out to ban it. The only problem? His wife has never undergone IVF treatments. In fact, she publicly corrected him on this, which makes you wonder if he’s just making stuff up as he goes along. And let’s not forget the odd decision to exaggerate a DUI arrest from 1995, seemingly in an attempt to look “cool” or relatable—because, you know, nothing says “man of the people” like glorifying a criminal record.
But wait, there’s more! It turns out Walz also claimed to have received an award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce for his so-called contributions to the business community while he was running for Congress in 2006. The problem? The Chamber of Commerce had no idea what he was talking about. In fact, Barry Kennedy, the Chamber’s president at the time, had to tell Walz to knock it off with the false claims and politely requested that he stop using their name in any way that could be interpreted as an endorsement. To add insult to injury, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had actually endorsed Walz’s opponent, Congressman Gil Gutknecht, for his support of small businesses.
It’s a pattern that might remind you of a certain President and Vice President who have also been caught embellishing their life stories with little to no pushback from the mainstream media. But, as my colleague Matt Margolis pointed out recently, the spotlight on Walz is starting to get a little too bright. In a party that has already shown its willingness to toss Joe Biden aside in favor of Kamala Harris when the going gets tough, it wouldn’t be surprising if Walz finds himself in a similar position. The Democrats have a way of quickly discarding those who become liabilities, and Walz might just be the next one on the chopping block.