(NewsNation) — Conversations about vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s alleged “stolen valor” have run rampant since the governor was introduced on the Democratic ticket.
In the Harris-Walz campaign’s first unscripted interview, Walz told CNN’s Dana Bash he didn’t use the best grammar in describing his military service when the word “war” was involved.
Though accusations of exaggerated service are a common refrain in politics — like those made against former Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., by former President Trump, or against Obama-era U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry by former President George W. Bush — how often are politicians actually distorting their service?
Though far from extensive, here are some of the high-profile military exaggerations made by U.S. politicians.
Wes Moore
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday that he made “an honest mistake” in failing to correct a White House fellowship application 18 years ago when he wrote he had received a Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan though he never ended up receiving it, after The New York Times obtained a copy of the application and reported on it.
The newspaper, which obtained the document as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, reported that Moore made the claim on the application in 2006 when he was 27.
“My deputy brigade commander felt comfortable with instructing me to include the award on my application for the Fellowship because he received confirmation with the approval authority that the Bronze Star was signed and approved by his senior leadership,” Moore wrote.
The governor also wrote that in the military, “there is an understanding that if a senior officer tells you that an action is approved, you can trust that as a fact. That is why it was part of the application, plain and simple.”
Though it was brought up in multiple interviews during his gubernatorial campaign, he never corrected reporters on his military accolades.
Ronald Reagan
The 40th president of the United States was accused during his first term in office of embellishing his World War II service. Though Reagen did serve in the Army Air Forces, his poor eyesight kept him stateside for the entirety of his military career.
Ronny Jackson and Troy E. Nehls
The pair of Texas representatives have come under fire since they signed a letter attacking Walz for his misconstrued service.
According to senior Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake, Rep. Ronny Jackson signed that letter with the following rank: Rear Admiral – U.S. Navy (Ret.). However, Jackson didn’t retire — he was demoted after inspector general reports about his behavior and drinking on the job.
Rep. Troy Nehls “has repeatedly claimed to be the recipient of two Bronze Star medals and a Combat Infantryman Badge from his time in the U.S. Army serving in Iraq and Afghanistan,” according to CBS News.
“There is no question that Nehls served overseas, engaged in combat, and was awarded a Bronze Star for his duties there. But military documents… show Nehls received one — not two — Bronze Star medals. And his Combat Infantryman Badge from Afghanistan was revoked from his service record in 2023 because Nehls served as a civil affairs officer, not as an infantryman or Special Forces soldier.”
Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he had “misspoken” about his service in the Vietnam War. His admission came after The New York Times obtained his Selective Service Record showing he received five draft deferments before joining the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, according to a Snopes fact check.
Bruce Faulkner Caputo
Rep. Bruce Caputo, R-N.Y., served the state’s 23rd congressional district from 1977 to 1978. During his campaign for the Senate and while holding office as a congressman, Caputo repeatedly described himself as a Vietnam “draftee” and Army lieutenant.
He later admitted he’d “not actually served in the Army and had taken a civilian job in the Defense Department to avoid being drafted,” The New York Times’ digital archive reads.
”I certainly never intended to mislead anyone,” Caputo said. ”Either they didn’t listen carefully or I didn’t express myself clearly. To the extent that I or somebody on my staff was less than careful, we made a mistake.”
Notably, the book “Who’s Who in American Politics” describes him as a second lieutenant for the Army, a fact which the editor of the book, Renee Lauterbach, told the Times could have only come from the politician himself.
Mark Kirk
Former Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., lied on his online biography from 2010, claiming he’d received an award from the Navy that he hadn’t.
“Upon a recent review of my records, I found that an award listed in my official biography was misidentified,” Kirk wrote in a blog post.
The Washington Post said Kirk’s award should have been attributed to his unit rather than him alone. A similar situation happened in 2010 after the senator claimed he served “in” Iraq, despite never being stationed abroad.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
