CNN political commentator Brianna Keilar downplayed J.D. Vance’s military service while attempting to defend Minnesota Governor Tim Walz from criticism over his military record.

Governor Walz has been under fire this week over questions surrounding his military service record. Soldiers from his unit with the Minnesota National Guard have questioned the circumstances surrounding his retirement just before a deployment to Iraq, and have noted that he has misrepresented his rank while on the campaign trail.

He has also claimed to have “carried weapons of war,” during a war,” and has insinuated that he was a veteran of the War in Afghanistan.

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“I also think that J.D. Vance as a messenger on this may be an imperfect messenger because we have, as you introduced him, as a combat correspondent, which was what his title was. But when you dig a little deeper into that, he was a public affairs specialist, someone who did not see combat, which certainly the title, combat correspondent, kind of gives you a different impression,” Keilar said, seemingly downplaying Vance’s 2005 deployment to Iraq. “So he may be the imperfect messenger on that.”

Vance soon responded to Keilar’s statement in an X post.

It’s easy to sit in the comfort and safety of a @CNN studio and trivialize the service of countless men and women who risked their lives. I served with some of the people mentioned in this thread,” Vance wrote while tagging Keilar. “I served with some of the people mentioned in this thread. I miss them all very much. Shameful of  @brikeilarcnn to slander an entire MOS.”

The tweet was made in response to several questions surrounding the military record of Governor Walz.

In a 2018 endorsement letter to the West Central Tribune, retired Command Sergeant Majors Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr shared their lengthy experiences with Governor Walz during their time in the Minnesota National Guard

“Tim Walz has embellished and selectively omitted facts and circumstances of his military career for years,” the men wrote. “We, retired Command Sergeants Major of the Minnesota National Guard, feel it is our duty and responsibility to bring forth the truth as we know it concerning his service record. So, we have put together a timeline of his service post 9/11.”

The retired veterans further accused Walz of abandoning his unit just before they were deployed to a combat zone in Iraq. In 2005, one year after he had been promoted to Command Sergeant Major of the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, Walz left his soldiers “hanging” at the crucial time, the men wrote.

“His excuse to other leaders was that he needed to retire in order to run for congress,” reads the letter.  “Which is false, according to a Department of Defense Directive, he could have run and requested permission from the Secretary of Defense before entering active duty; as many reservists have.

“If he had retired normally and respectfully, you would think he would have ensured his retirement documents were correctly filled out and signed, and that he would have ensured he was reduced to Master Sergeant for dropping out of the academy. Instead he waited for the paperwork to catch up to him. His official retirement document states, SOLDIER NOT AVAILABLE FOR SIGNATURE.”As a result, Walz was demoted to master sergeant, the two retired veterans continued.

This, they claim, contradicts his claim that he was the highest-ranking enlisted man ever elected to Congress.

CNN has conceded that Walz has used loose language to describe his military exploits, while the Harris Campaign has quietly deleted reference to his rank

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