Tim Walz\u2019s former military superior made claims that called into question the Minnesota governor\u2019s conduct in the U.S. National Guard during a CNN interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his interview with CNN<\/a>, former Minnesota National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin appeared to bolster criticism that Walz abandoned the unit with his account of the former Guardsman going around him to leave the National Guard before his team went to Iraq. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He relayed to CNN anchor Laura Coates that Walz and the whole unit \u2013 “including my boss, commander, and the command team” \u2013 had multiple meetings to discuss deployment months before Walz sought retirement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the former sergeant major, Walz was at each of these meetings. Julin also asserted that in the lead up to deployment Walz assured him that he was going to join the battalion in Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military career has been scrutinized since he was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he told Coates that in June 2005, he found out that Walz had quit without telling him, having gotten permission to retire from a higher-level officer – a break in protocol, according to Julin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Tim Walz knew the process and procedures, he went around me and above and beyond me\u2026 basically went in there to get somebody to back him\u2026 it was just a backdoor process,” he told Coates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on August 7, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate Tim Walz are campaigning across the country this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walz\u2019s 24-year National Guard career has been heavily scrutinized since Vice President Harris announced him as her running mate. Critics have accused Walz of abandoning his unit just before it went to Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement recently given to Fox News, the Minnesota National Guard<\/a> said that Walz’s unit was not given deployment orders to Iraq until July, and he had put his retirement papers in five to seven months prior to his retirement in May 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other former Minnesota National Guardsmen allegedly familiar with Walz\u2019s time in the guard asserted similar things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Herr (Ret.) told Fox News<\/a> on Thursday, “He subverted the chain of command, and he went around the chain of command. The brigade [sergeant] major had no clue. These are all important facts, and he did it to continually feather his own bed\u2026 That was the shameful part of it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Julin continued with his account of Walz\u2019s alleged actions, Coates appeared to stop him in his tracks, point out some rough patches in audio quality, and indicate they were out of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Well, Sergeant Major \u2013 I do want to hear what you have to say, Sergeant Major. I know I want to be sensitive of your time, and your audio is beginning to break up just a little bit. But I do want to thank you because I think you clarified a lot for people and given more information. The question now is how voters will evaluate it.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n She then thanked him and ended the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Billionaire and CEO Bill Ackman shared the clip on Saturday morning and slammed the CNN anchor, stating, “If people question whether there is bias in media, you should watch this clip.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n