Rep. Troy Nehls was already facing difficult questions about why he wears a Combat Infantryman Badge on his lapel. This week, those questions grew louder as the U.S. Army commented on the Texas Republican’s service record for the first time. NOTUS reported:

For those who might benefit from a refresher, CBS News reported last month that he received the Combat Badge in 2008, but it was “revoked from his service record in March 2023 because Nehls served as a civil affairs officer, not as an infantryman or Special Forces soldier.”

The GOP lawmaker routinely wears the Combat Badge anyway. Nehls continued to wear it even after the CBS News report reached the public.

The fact that an Army spokesperson has now confirmed that the congressman’s record does not qualify him for the Combat Infantryman Badge makes the story all the more provocative, but it’s also of note that the congressman’s colleagues — including members of his own party — aren’t backing him up on this. NOTUS reported earlier this month:

Just so we’re clear, Nehls is, in fact, a U.S. Army veteran who boasted in a campaign ad that he “fought terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.” But his apparent willingness to wear a lapel pin reserved for those who fought in active combat — which records suggest he did not do — is drawing rebukes from his ostensible partisan allies. The report added:

Rep. Wesley Hunt, a fellow veteran and fellow Texas Republican, concluded, “That’s ridiculous. That’s stolen valor.”

Common sense suggests now would be a good time for Nehls to back down. It’s not at all clear whether he will.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com