In a storyline that could easily be mistaken for a military drama, retired National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin has leveled serious allegations against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The stage for this unfolding saga was a recent interview on CNN, where Julin painted a picture of Walz’s departure from the National Guard that is filled with intrigue and alleged breaches of protocol.
During his appearance on CNN, Julin recounted how Walz seemingly circumvented the usual chain of command to secure his retirement just before his unit was deployed to Iraq. He told CNN anchor Laura Coates that multiple meetings had been held to discuss the deployment, with Walz in attendance, and that Walz had assured him he would be joining the battalion in Iraq. However, in a twist that has left many raising their eyebrows, Julin claimed that Walz quit in June 2005 without informing him, having secured permission from a higher-level officer – an action Julin described as a “backdoor process.”
“Tim Walz knew the process and procedures,” Julin asserted. “He went around me and above and beyond me… basically went in there to get somebody to back him.”
The plot thickens as the Minnesota National Guard defended Walz, stating that his unit wasn’t given deployment orders to Iraq until July, and that he had submitted his retirement papers five to seven months prior, in May 2005. This defense, however, has done little to quell the controversy, as other former National Guardsmen echoed Julin’s sentiments. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Herr told Fox News, “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… That was the shameful part of it.”
As the dramatic revelations continued, Coates appeared to pull the plug on the interview, citing audio issues and time constraints. This abrupt end did not go unnoticed. Billionaire Bill Ackman shared the clip on social media, criticizing Coates for what he perceived as media bias. Ackman accused Coates of cutting off Julin because his narrative did not align with the network’s preferences. “Watch to the end and see for yourself whether these reasons are a pretext or whether this is good journalism and fairness in media,” Ackman urged viewers.
In the midst of the turbulence, the Harris campaign, which has recently announced Walz as the vice presidential candidate, pointed to a defense from Joseph Eustice, a former National Guard member who served under Walz. Eustice countered the allegations, stating, “He was as good a soldier as you’ll find… What I’m trying to do is defend someone who served his country. I’m not voting for him… But I don’t think it’s fair to characterize his service the way they have.”
As election season heats up, this military melodrama is sure to keep political junkies on the edge of their seats. Whether Walz’s actions were a breach of protocol or a misunderstood retirement process remains a hotly debated topic, with voters left to sift through the claims and counterclaims.
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