Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz recently traveled to Pennsylvania in support of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, Walz found himself being confronted by protesters when he made a stop in the county where former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated. 

Anti-Walz protestors turn out in Butler County

According to the Washington Examiner, the demonstrators gathered at the opposite end of the street from Butler County's Bloom Cafe on Tuesday.

Among them was 57-year-old retired law enforcement officer Ben Rathgen, who held a sign which read, "Trump secure border, Kamala open border."

"I got a call from my wife … right away I was like, 'You’ve got to be kidding me …' I just drove by to see if it was true, and sure enough it was" Rathgen explained to the Examiner.

"I don't agree with Walz and the Harris campaign. I don't believe in anything they stand for … They're ruining this country for us and our kids and grandkids," the former police officer insisted.

Veteran: Walz "deserted his own unit when they went to Iraq"

Another of those present was 31-year-old Matt Moon, who stated, "I'm an army veteran, and I’ve been seeing a lot of signs saying, 'Veterans for Walz.'" Matt Moon stated.

"But he deserted his own unit when they went to Iraq … I don't know why anyone would vote for him," Moon went on to declare.

Walz's National Guard service has become an issue during the campaign, with critics alleging that he has misrepresented his record.

.@jdvance says Gov. Tim Walz lied about his military service and accuses him of "stolen valor garbage." pic.twitter.com/DNFd0DPNDL

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 8, 2024

The critics include retired Command Sergeant Majors Tom Behrends and Command Sergeant Major Paul Herr, who previously raised the matter when Walz ran for governor in 2018.

Retired soldiers say Walz lied about why he left the military

In a letter they sent to the West Central Tribune, Behrends and Herr accused Walz of lying about why he retired from the National Guard.

"His excuse to other leaders was that he needed to retire in order to run for Congress. Which is false, according to a Department of Defense Directive, he could have run and requested permission from the Secretary of Defense before entering active duty; as many reservists have," they wrote.

Instead, Behrends and Herr maintained that Walz's real reason for leaving the military was he wanted to avoid having to serve in Iraq.