Trump's pick for bitter Senate battle plunged into 'stolen valor' scandal... as his wife is called out for brutal lie

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 15:06, 13 June 2026 | Updated: 15:08, 13 June 2026 A Trump-endorsed congressman is facing damning allegations of 'stolen valor' as Alabama's Republican Senate runoff hurtles to the finish line.  Several local Alabama media outlets report Congressman Barry Moore has inflated his military record throughout his time in public office, as well as on the campaign trail. And his wife's remarks are not necessarily helping him as voters head to the polls this coming Tuesday.  A Moore loss would also hand the White House another stinging defeat after Trump-endorsed Congressman Randy Feenstra was beaten in the primary for Iowa governor earlier this month. Moore's wife, Heather Moore, said this week that her husband served eight years in the military, per a post by the Franklin Free Press, a local media outlet in Alabama.  Moore's campaign told the Daily Mail that he served 'more than six years.' But according to documents released by Moore's campaign since the controversy broke last weekend, he served in the National Guard for just over two and a half years, before receiving an honorable discharge in July 1991. A former senior staffer from Moore's congressional office told the Daily Mail he has been 'intentionally misleading' about his service record for years.   Barry Moore's wife, Heather Moore, said this week that her husband served eight years in the military Moore's wife's discrepancy was quickly called out by online commenters who accused Heather of a brazen untruth. Verified Facebook user Jesse Bowman, resharing the records Moore's campaign released amid the firestorm, noted that they showed just over two and a half years of service and that Moore 'was never a staff sergeant, just paid as one.' The campaign, he added, was 'in a mess and trying their best to spin it.' Another strand of the controversy surrounding Moore's military record stems from a letter by the Trump-Vance campaign in 2024 that referred to him as a Staff Sergeant while attacking former Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz over his own service record. Moore never held that rank and Moore's campaign noted that the candidate has never called himself a Staff Sergeant. Laura Johnston Etheredge also chimed in online, noting 'No Veteran counts IRR [Individual Ready Reserve] when you ask how long they served. That's embarrassing for him,' in a response to Bowman.  The Individual Ready Reserve, also known as IRR, 'is made up of service members who have left active duty or traditional reserve roles with remaining time on their original service contract,' per Task and Purpose. They are generally inactive, do not drill, and do not get paid. Moore completed ten weeks of basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in 1989 - but released records show he never completed training for a specific military occupational specialty (MOS). Moore's campaign told the Daily Mail that 'Barry Moore served in the Alabama National Guard and Army Reserve for more than six years and was honorably discharged. He has never claimed combat service and has been open about his military background.' Sources familiar with military rank and promotion structure told the Daily Mail that without an MOS, Moore was never deployable. Barry Moore's wife, Heather Moore at a runoff candidate forum in Franklin County, Alabama Records from the Alabama Secretary of State which show Heather Moore as the owner of Chicken and Biscuits LLC FEC Records show payments made to Chicken and Biscuits LLC by Moore's US House and US Senate campaigns in the 2024 and 2026 cycles Multiple former staffers said that early in his congressional tenure, senior staff took a deliberate decision to avoid the word 'veteran' in all communications - because Moore did not meet the qualifications - substituting 'former service member' instead. In a further eyebrow-raising revelation, the Daily Mail has learned that Moore was  typically accompanied by veteran staffers onto military bases, as he lacked the active-duty or veteran ID card needed for independent access.  Moore's campaign told the Daily Mail that 'anonymous stories about staff members do not alter his military record.' There were also internal discussions about obtaining a visitor's pass for Moore, but the idea was shelved over concerns about the 'optics' of explaining why he had no base ID in the first place. Moore has hit back: 'I have never claimed service or honors I didn't earn. Because Jared Hudson's campaign is behind in the polls, he is willing to insult 39,738 Alabamians who serve in the National Guard and Army Reserves.' Moore's campaign said he served 'honorably' in the Alabama Army National Guard and US Army Reserve from 1988 to 1997 A Moore loss would also hand the White House another stinging (Moore and his wife pictured with Trump in the Oval Office) His Republican primary opponent, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, has responded by pointing to servicemembers. 'You don't need to hear what Jared Hudson has to say - there are 30,000 to 40,000 guardsmen in Alabama who serve regularly. Why don't you listen to what a few of them think about Congressman Moore's service?'  Moore's campaign said he served 'honorably' in the Alabama Army National Guard and US Army Reserve from 1988 to 1997.  But retired Army Reserve Lt. Col. Ross Cline, writing in Yellowhammer News, said Moore 'turned two months of basic training into a fabricated military identity.' Asked whether Moore qualifies as a veteran, his campaign was unequivocal: 'Yes. The VA issued him a Veteran Identification Card... The discrepancy lies with third-party misrepresentations.' The Daily Mail can also exclusively reveal Moore's campaigns have paid his wife Heather nearly $50,000 through her LLC, Chicken and Biscuits, for digital and strategy consulting.  The campaign said her 'role is legitimate' and her pay 'reported as required by law.' A Facebook ad in which Moore claimed to be a veteran ran last month. Voters render a verdict on Tuesday and in ruby-red Alabama, the winner is heavily favored to be the state's next senator. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.