By Nate Bennett
Sept. 10, 2024
Tim Walz, Minnesota governor, former command sergeant major in the Army National Guard, and high school football coach, has become the running mate for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. If only looking at his former titles, he seems to be qualified, patriotic, and down to earth. However, what is more important than having power, is what one does with it. The actions of those in power reveal their true identities, and I will shed some light on the policies and actions of Governor Tim Walz.
As previously mentioned, Tim Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years, climbing the ranks to become a command sergeant major. While it is important to respect all service from our veterans, Governor Walz’s exit from the military was riddled with controversy. The governor had indeed risen to the rank of command sergeant major but was later demoted to master sergeant, having not finished the coursework for the rank of command sergeant major. Further, before he had decided to leave the military, his unit was notified that it would deploy to Iraq. It was after learning of this deployment that Walz decided to abandon his unit and run for Congress instead. Many of the men with whom he served have come forward and shared their grievances with the man who was supposed to be one of their commanding officers while on deployment. The men in his unit say they felt the decision was cowardly.
Kathy Miller, a mother of one of the fallen soldiers in Governor Walz's unit, gave her thoughts to the New York Post, saying, “I don't think it's fair that [Walz] takes credit when he didn't step up to the plate. Walz claims a rank he never earned. When he was called to serve and protect our country, he didn't. To publicly present false prestige of his unearned rank, an inaccurate representation, is a falsehood of who he truly is.”
The mother also went on to state that the way Walz left the military was a “coward’s way out.” These claims had been brought against Waltz during his campaign for governor of Minnesota, however the discrepancy has really begun to garner attention since Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance brought the claims to light, as he himself served as a Marine who, like Walz's unit, deployed to Iraq. A number of interviews have been conducted with some of the members of Walz’s unit who have stated resentment toward the governor for what they believe was an act of cowardice and ambition for more power.
Representing Minnesota’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, Walz quickly earned the trust of then-speaker Nancy Pelosi, who gave him many responsibilities within the House. Walz shot down many bailout bills to big corporations during the 2008 recession, including a number of large automotive providers. He also received multiple 100 percent approval ratings from unions as well as leading abortion provider Planned Parenthood. Eventually, Walz decided to run for governor of Minnesota—a campaign he won in 2018.
In May of 2020, the Black Lives Matter riots began to take over Minneapolis. The city was in peril. Constant arson and destruction was everywhere, and even the far-left mayor of the city decided to seek the help of the National Guard when the rioters threatened a law enforcement office. The mayor asked Walz to send the National Guard, but Walz dragged his feet while the building burned to the ground. Additionally, when Walz did end up sending the National Guard, his daughter leaked online when troops would be arriving which let the rioters know how much time they had left to continue their destructive acts. President Trump initially praised Walz’s handling of the situation but has since rescinded that approval.
In terms of policy regarding the sanctity of human life, Walz was not shy in his pro-choice beliefs. In April of 2023, he signed the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which allowed people from out of state to travel to Minnesota for an abortion. Walz also signed legislation allowing full-term abortions and allowing babies born alive after failed abortions to be left to die. He is among the most extreme in terms of abortion, fully earning the 100% approval rating from Margaret Sanger’s Planned Parenthood. If granted the office of vice president, it can be believed that Walz will bring his radical anti-life policies with him.
Walz also legalized recreational cannabis in Minnesota and attempted to cancel some medical debt and provide free lunches in public schools. However, he had yet another scandal to overshadow these bills. In June of this 2024, Minnesota non-profit Feeding Our Future was convicted of COVID-related fraud in a scheme regarding 250 million dollars. Walz’s administration was condemned for their inability oversee the non-profit and prevent the fraud. Walz himself took ownership of this failure.
Walz has also been known to travel to China often. He has visited more than 30 times and has repeatedly praised the Communist nation and claimed that they are misrepresented in American media. Walz’s trips to China began in 1989, when he began teaching history and English there. His trips have been annual, and he claims they are for educational purposes. It is important to note that Walz does acknowledge the human rights issues and condemns them, but he continues his visits and his praise for the Communist nation.
One of the most alarming statements Walz has made came to light during an interview on MSNBC. Walz stated, when speaking of the past election and current state of the nation, “There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.” This line is chilling, especially for those who have studied totalitarian governments. Free speech has always been a bedrock principle in the United States, allowing all people to be heard and to voice their opinions and concerns with those in power whether correct or not. However, with Walz saying there is no guarantee to free speech and using subjective terms such as “hate speech” and “misinformation,” Christians should be alarmed and call him out on this disturbing sentiment. These terms have used by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in order to ban the public reading of Bible verses and persecute Christianity. The Soviet Union employed state-controlled media to manipulate the public into believing what the government wants them to believe – something that has been the case in North Korea, China, and Nazi Germany as well. As Americans, and as Christians, we should be quite wary when hearing someone in power speak about state-controlled free speech or about a hindrance on free speech of any kind.
Walz has also voiced his support of strict gun laws, and his running mate has voiced support for a firearms buy-back program. This is concerning because the Second Amendment, as the founding fathers intended, keeps the American people safe from tyrants and other foreign and domestic threats. When these rights are infringed upon, the freedoms and liberties Americans enjoy are threatened. We must be careful and be intentional when these ideas begin to become mainstream.
So, who is Tim Walz? A look at the vice presidential candidate’s record reveals that he has advocated for radically anti-Christian rhetoric and policies. His abortion stance, his anti-free speech rhetoric, and his anti-Second Amendment ambitions should be alarming to those who value American freedoms. Tim Walz presents himself as moderate, but his track record describes a much more progressive, anti-Christian reality.
Nate Bennett serves as a communications and marketing associate with The Danbury Institute — a role he began after serving as a summer intern with Danbury in 2024. Bennett is currently a student at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss.
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