Veterans, Tell Me If You're Voting For Kamala Harris Or Donald Trump

Hello, everyone! With less than 100 days until Election Day, we're back for another round of BuzzFeed's 2024 Election Diaries!

This weekly series highlights different groups of voters nationwide to find out what political issues are most important to them AND who they plan to support for president in 2024.

Veterans are highly represented in the upcoming 2024 election. Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz served for 24 years in the Army National Guard, and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance served for four years in the Marines, and worked as a combat correspondent for the Public Affairs office.

Tim Walz, wearing a suit with a tie, smiling at an event, and JD Vance, also in a suit with a tie, standing on stage with an American flag in the background
Kevin Dietsch / Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

Recently, Gov. Tim Walz's military record has been under fire, with some claiming he has "embellished" his military service duties. At the beginning of August, the Harris campaign released a statement saying that Walz "misspoke" when he previously discussed using weapons "in war," when that hadn't been the case.

Tim Walz stands behind a podium, holding his hand to his chest while giving a speech
Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

Former president Donald Trump has also been under fire for countless disparaging remarks about veterans, but most recently, he claimed that the Presidential Medal of Freedom is "much better" than the Congressional Medal of Honor because those who receive the Congressional medal are "horribly wounded" or "dead."

MSNBC / @KamalaHQ

And, this week Trump received mixed reactions after visiting the Arlington National Cemetery to honor service members who died during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Donald Trump, in a suit, lays a wreath with two uniformed soldiers. A woman in a wheelchair and a man in a suit are in the background
NurPhoto / Getty Images

One user online wrote, "This is what a real president looks like," while others called Trump standing with a thumbs up at a gravesite a "photo op" during an election year.

@MSNBC

With all of this to consider, we're asking veterans to share issues related to the military that are most important to them in this election and which candidate they plan to vote for in November.

Maybe you're a veteran voting for Kamala Harris because the Biden-Harris administration's work expanding military benefits through the PACT Act personally impacted you.

Kamala Harris salutes with two Air Force personnel in formal uniforms as they stand near an aircraft staircase
Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images

Maybe you were previously undecided as a veteran, but Trump's recent honoring of soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery convinced you to vote for him in November.

Donald Trump standing with a group, including a woman in a wheelchair and a man with a prosthetic arm, during a ceremony with hands over their hearts
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Iimages

Or maybe you're a veteran who is worried about foreign conflicts, and you don't trust Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to keep US soldiers out of war.

People in military uniforms standing in a row with their hands behind their backs. Faces are not visible
Bo Zaunders / Getty Images

Veterans — whatever your opinion is, we want to hear it. Please fill out this anonymous Google form. Your response could be featured in an upcoming post.

If you are reading this and you're not a veteran, don't worry! New groups of voters will be requested weekly! Also, if you don't qualify for this round but know someone who does, please send it their way!