(Tribune News Service) — Republican U.S. Sen. and vice presidential candidate JD Vance continued criticism of his opponent’s military record and the current administration’s treatment of the military and veterans while emphasizing the Trump campaign’s primary messages about the economy and immigration during an appearance Thursday morning at VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell.

As Mr. Vance tells it, Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz lied about serving in combat and left his fellow service members behind.

In a 2018 discussion of gun violence, Walz said, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.” He never served in combat. Walz retired after more than 20 years in the National Guard several months before his unit was deployed to Iraq in 2005. The Kamala Harris campaign has said Walz “misspoke” in 2018.

Such was the continued line attack of Vance and multiple other elected Republican congressmen before more than 100 people, who crammed into the VFW to hear who they hope will be the next vice president.

Vance and others said that veterans in the audience and across the nation were smart enough to know Walz has never spent a day in a combat zone. Many attendees waved yard signs reading “Veterans and Military Families for Trump” as Vance and others rallied the crowd in support.

But Vance also attacked Walz’s record on veterans’ health care, President Joe Biden’s plan for withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago, and the overall treatment of veterans in a wide-ranging speech and in questions from reporters.

“The disability backlog has gotten worse; wait times at our VA have gotten worse; the veterans’ suicide problem is still terrible,” Vance said. “And Kamala Harris wants to give Medicare and health care to illegal aliens ... we’ve got 300,000 veterans that are homeless in this country right now; let’s take care of them first.”

According to Veterans Affairs data, roughly 300,000 veterans have accessed homelessness services annually in recent years.

Vance served in the Marines from 2003 to 2007 and deployed to Iraq as a combat correspondent for six months in 2005. Walz served for more than 20 years in the Minnesota National Guard and was given a notice to potentially deploy to Iraq in March 2005, according to news reports. Official deployment came after Walz had retired from the guard in May 2005.

Walz has faced similar attacks during his run for Congress in Minnesota, and for governor of that state. Vance and allies continued the criticism Thursday.

“When the nation called, and we were told to go, I went,” Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told the applauding crowd, referencing his service in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “As a commander of a unit, I didn’t leave my Green Berets leaderless, like somebody else we know.”

Some Pittsburgh-area veterans have said the Republican criticism of Walz’s record — and especially the claim that Walz committed “stolen valor” — is off the mark.

Along with the debate over military service, Vance and fellow speakers contrasted former President Donald Trump’s economic record with Harris’.

That was top of mind for multiple attendees at Thursday’s rally.

Dave Craig, 73, of West Newton is a retired caretaker of local cemeteries in Jefferson Hills and Delmont, Westmoreland County. He said one of his biggest concerns is his retirement account — in the last four years, he’s lost $60,000 in his 401(k), he said. Craig added that the Harris-Walz campaign has benefited from a “honeymoon phase” and will soon have to face difficult questions from reporters.

Jon Ruffley, 31, of O’Hara agreed. A chemical engineer, he said his family with two young children (and a third on the way) can weather the impacts of inflation, but he understands the hardships less fortunate families are facing.

Democrats often note that inflation is falling. “It’s great that we’re heading in a positive direction, but it’s not enough for working families,” Ruffley said.

Some, such as Mary Judge, 55, of Moon were focused on immigration enforcement. Judge, who has an accounting background but has helped Trump’s campaign, said she’s concerned about the number of illegal immigrants crossing into the country in recent years.

“People shouldn’t have to be armed on their property to protect their love ones ... and governors shouldn’t have to bus immigrants from one state to the other,” Judge said.

Vance used that theme to explain the United States’ standing on economic matters Thursday. He said Harris, the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act — legislation that, among other objectives, allocates $783 billion for climate and energy initiatives — has weakened the country’s position on certain industries.

“Kamala Harris has fallen in love with the green economy,” Vance said. “It’s the entire foundation of their economic policy agenda ... (she) shifted a lot of American tax dollars to buy electric vehicles that are made in China. Why don’t we keep American tax dollars here at home? Why don’t we build factories here in the United States of America? ... Let’s subsidize the products that are built and made in America.”

The economic rhetoric resonated with voters throughout the room. Dominic DeMarchis, 21, of Penn Township and a recent economics graduate of the College of Wooster, echoed what many were saying: Inflation is still too high for working-class Americans.

Rebekah Clevenger, 46, of Upper Turkeyfoot, Somerset County, said she raised two children but needed to go back to work at a packaging job in a factory because bills needed to be paid.

“We hope the economy changes back to what it was ... certainly, watching the prices and with everything on the shelves being double (in cost), it’s difficult,” Clevenger said.

(c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.