Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) lit a fire that had only grown larger after he called out his vice presidential opponent Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) for “stolen valor” after he ditched his Army National Guard artillery unit shortly before they deployed to Iraq in 2005. The morning newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC sprang into action Thursday morning as they openly lied about the sequence of events and what Walz had said on camera.

ABC’s Good Morning America was arguably the worst as an indignant Selina Wang, their senior White House correspondent, framed the serious criticism and just a desperate attack from a team that was behind. “While Vance is on the road chasing Harris and Walz, Trump is at home…sending Vance to be his attack dog,” she declared.

Wang did the ‘Republicans pounce’ meme as she huffed about the Trump/Vance campaign using the Harris-Walz campaign’s own words against them:

WANG: Vance accusing his new opponent of lying about his military service, seizing on this moment.

WALZ: We can make sure those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at.

VANCE: What was this weapon that you carried into war given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq? [Transition] Do not pretend to be something you are not.

Keep an eye on the soundbite they used of Vance there, they edited out a critical point which we’ll address shortly.

Despite just playing a soundbite of Walz claiming he carried a weapon in war, Wang told viewers not to trust their lying ears. “Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years and has never claimed to have seen active combat,” she declared, parroting campaign talking points: “The Harris campaign not addressing Walz’s comments that he carried a gun in war saying only that he ‘carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerous times…’”

“Walz ignoring Vance attacks on the trail. Instead, firing up the crowd,” Wang boasted.

Over on CBS Mornings, chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes framed Vance’s criticism as just the campaign “trying to blunt the Democratic ticket's momentum as enormous crowds turn out for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Walz at every stop.”

Cordes didn’t do any investigative reporting, just regurgitated what the Harris/Walz campaign fed her. “Walz retired from the Army National Guard in 2005 and in a statement, the Harris campaign said, ‘In his 24 years of service, the governor carried, fired, and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times,’” she said.

But, she did play a more complete version of Vance’s comments, she ABC chopped up (as noted above): “He has not spent a day in a combat zone. What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you're not.” Note the part about stolen valor inexplicably missing.

For NBC’s Today, senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson tried to defend Walz’s suspiciously timed exit from the National Guard as just a pivot in his method of public service:

Walz filed paperwork for his congressional run in February 2005, about a month before reports of a deployment. Harris/Walz campaign officials not clarifying the timing, but framing his decision to pursue politics as a new way to help service members and veterans, the campaign calling him “a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.”

None of them did an examination of the timeline of Walz’s retirement. Yes, he filed to run for Congress in February, but his retirement wasn’t until May 17. But nearly two months before that date, Walz’s campaign released a statement (pictured above) addressing questions about a possible deployment the Minnesota National Guard knew was happening. At any point, Walz could have suspended his campaign and called off retirement. He didn’t.

The transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read:

ABC’s Good Morning America
August 8, 2024
7:07:18 a.m. Eastern

(…)

SELINA WANG: While Vance is on the road chasing Harris and Walz, Trump is at home; only holding one rally later this week in Montana. Instead, sending Vance to be his attack dog.

Vance accusing his new opponent of lying about his military service, seizing on this moment.

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): We can make sure those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at.

SEN. J.D. Vance (R-OH): What was this weapon that you carried into war given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq? [Transition] Do not pretend to be something you are not.

WANG: Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years and has never claimed to have seen active combat. The Harris campaign not addressing Walz’s comments that he carried a gun in war saying only that he “carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerous times,” adding that Walz “would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country. In fact, he thanked Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country.”

Walz ignoring Vance attacks on the trail. Instead, firing up the crowd.

WALZ: I haven't slept in 24 hours. You know why? We'll sleep when we're dead. We'll sleep when we're dead.

(…)

CBS Mornings
8/8/2024
7:04:05 AM

(…)

NANCY CORDES: Vance has also been going after Walz's military record, and this comment in particular.

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN): He can make sure those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at.

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH): He has not spent a day in a combat zone. What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you're not.

CORDES: Walz retired from the Army National Guard in 2005 and in a statement, the Harris campaign said, "In his 24 years of service, the governor carried, fired, and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times."

The Trump campaign is trying to blunt the democratic ticket's momentum as enormous crowds turn out for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Walz at every stop.

WALZ: I don't know what it -- how I can explain to you walking into that arena in Philly or that field out in Wisconsin or right here to what I have been told is the largest rally of the campaign.

(...)

NBC’s Today
8/8/2024
07:15:10 a.m. Eastern

(…)

JACKSON: Vance attacking Walz, who served 24 years in the National Guard, before retiring in 2005. With Vance accusing him of abandoning his Guard unit before they were deployed to Iraq.

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH): It's shameful to prepare your unit to go to Iraq [Transition] and then to drop out right before you actually have to go.

JACKSON: Walz filed paperwork for his congressional run in February 2005, about a month before reports of a deployment. Harris/Walz campaign officials not clarifying the timing, but framing his decision to pursue politics as a new way to help service members and veterans, the campaign calling him “a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.”

Former President Trump is now hinting he'll face off with Harris soon.

DONALD TRUMP: I'll be debating her, I guess, in the pretty near future.

(…)