U.S. Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, incorrectly told a live audience on CNN on Wednesday that her congressional colleague JD Vance had never served in the military.
It is widely known that Vance, a first-term Republican U.S. senator and vice-presidential running mate to Donald Trump, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and served as a combat correspondent in the Iraq War.
Smith, a second-term senator from Minneapolis, uttered the misinformation about Vance during an appearance on the cable news network to stump for Gov. Tim Walz, the newly plucked presidential running mate to Kamala Harris.
“Tim Walz, who enlisted when he was 17 years old, he served in the National Guard for 24 years,” Smith told CNN anchor Jim Acosta during his mid-morning program, “and I am not aware of any military service that JD Vance, has ever, uh, served. So let’s just make the comparison there.”
WATCH: Top Harris surrogate Sen Tina Smith: “I’m not aware of any military service that JD Vance has served.”
CNN’s Jim @Acosta: “He was in the marines…”
SMITH: “Okay, pardon me for that.” pic.twitter.com/inwDU2lWM1
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) August 7, 2024
Following Smith’s statement that she believed Vance had never served in the military, Acosta interrupted Smith to correct the misinformation for viewers, just as Smith began to pivot to her next talking point, which was defending Walz’s record of governance during the summer 2020 riots in Minneapolis.
“And what happened in the tragedy in the killing of George Floyd and the unrest … ” Smith said.
“He (Vance) was in the Marines, but … ” Acosta told Smith, briefly interrupting her next sentence.
“Okay, pardon me for that,” Smith said. She then continued on her surrogate talking points for Walz.
Smith and Vance serve together in a U.S. Senate committee
Smith and Vance have served together as two of 100 members of the U.S. Senate for more than 18 months. They both are both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
While Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate to represent Ohio in 2022, Smith was first appointed to the U.S. Senate in December 2017. Then-Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, tapped Smith, his lieutenant governor, to replace Al Franken, who had announced his resignation earlier that month amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
