H.R. McMaster on Walz’s military claims: ‘I would never disparage any service’

Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster said Sunday he “would never disparage” someone’s military service, when asked about the controversy surrounding the Democratic vice presidential nominee’s past remarks about his time in the Army National Guard.

“I think everybody’s got to make their own judgment. Look at the facts of the service, which I think, you know, we should always celebrate and thank those who, you know, who serve our nation in uniform,” said McMaster, who served in the Trump administration, in an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” with Chris Stirewalt.

“We need our best, you know, our best young men and women to protect our nation, especially at this dangerous time,” he added.

In the interview, McMaster refrained from criticizing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) directly and stressed the rewarding aspects of service and the “of being part of something bigger than yourself, being part of an organization where the young man or woman next to you is willing to give everything, including their own lives for you.”

“So I would never disparage any service. How he characterized it? I’m not sure. The decision — everybody has to make up their own decisions,” he continued.

McMaster’s remarks come as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has faced scrutiny over when he retired from service, his rank in retirement and imprecise language he used several years ago to describe how he carried a weapon in war.

The Harris campaign initially referred to Walz as a “retired command sergeant major.” Walz reached that rank but did not complete the requirements to keep it before he retired.

The governor, in a 2018 speech, spoke of “weapons of war that I carried in war” during remarks about gun violence. Harris’s presidential campaign said in a statement Walz “misspoke” at the time.

And Republicans have criticized the Minnesota governor over the timing of his resignation from the National Guard before he ran for Congress in 2005, accusing Walz of abandoning his unit before it deployed overseas. But Walz announced his House campaign months before his unit was mobilized.

McMaster seemed to touch on this final talking point, saying when he visits wounded soldiers, he’s “used to hearing stories of soldiers who fight to get back to the unit.”

“So I’m used to that kind of mentality, but I don’t want to judge anybody’s service,” he added. “So I think Americans just need to listen to both sides and make the judgment themselves.”

Walz has defended his record and fought back against GOP attacks on his 24-year military service.

“These guys are even attacking me for my record of service. And I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country and I always will be. With my dad’s encouragement — a guy who served in the Army during the Korean War — I signed by for the Army National Guard two days after my 17th birthday,” Walz said.

“Then in 2005, I felt the call of duty again, this time of being a service to my country in the halls of Congress. My students inspired me to run for that office,” he added.