Washington Post chief fact-checker slams Tim Walz’s claims of carrying weapons ‘in war’: ‘Sloppy and false’

Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler shredded Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., claim that he once carried weapons of war "in war."

In an analysis piece of Walz’s military service record, Kessler denied the governor’s 2018 claim that he had handled weapons in a combat theater over his 24-year career in the U.S. Army National guard. The fact-checker confirmed to readers that there was no evidence he served in combat so he couldn’t have carried the weapons. 

"He did carry weapons of war — just not in war," Kessler declared.

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Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler refuted Gov. Tim Walz's, D-Minn., 2018 claims that he once carried weapons "in war." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The governor made the heavily scrutinized claim in question during a 2018 town hall meeting where he advocated for gun control policies.

In a clip of the meeting, which the Harris campaign shared on social media earlier this week, Walz told an audience, "I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt… And I tell you what I have been doing. I’ve been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can do CDC research. We can make sure we don’t have reciprocal carry among states. And we can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at."

Kessler’s piece, published on Friday, grilled Walz over the claim, stating, "There is no evidence that Walz served in combat — and he has not claimed he did. He did receive ribbons for proficiency in sharpshooting and hand grenades, according to military records obtained through an open records request by MPR News."

The Washington Post fact-checker also noted that a Harris campaign spokesperson admitted that "the governor misspoke."

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The arena scoreboard at the Liacouras Center, the site of Vice President Kamala Harris' first rally with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 6, 2024 (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

When reached for comment, the Walz campaign provided the following statement to Fox News Digital.

"Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country," the statement said. "It’s the American way. In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children."

Kessler rendered his final assessment of Walz’s words, saying, "Walz’s language was sloppy and false. He did carry weapons of war — just not in war."

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Kessler was hardly the first to go after Walz on this claim. Throughout the week, the campaign’s political opponents, social media critics, and even liberal media networks called it out.

GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance led the Republican attacks on Walz’s "in war" claims. 

He asked on Wednesday, "Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? When was this? What was this weapon that you carried into war?" He then went on to say that Walz "has not spent a day in a combat zone."

CNN correspondent Tom Foreman fact-checked the line on Wednesday, saying there "is no evidence that at any time Governor Walz was in the position of being shot at, and some of his language could easily be seen to suggest that he was. So that is absolutely false when he said that about gun rights out there."