A Nevada Republican endorsed by Donald Trump is facing scrutiny after repeatedly claiming that he received a Bronze Star “for valor.”
David Flippo’s campaign says the wording resulted from staff mistakes, not an effort to mislead voters.
Flippo is seeking the Republican nomination in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, a heavily conservative seat that Representative Mark Amodei is leaving open.
Trump endorsed Flippo, describing him as an “America First Patriot” while giving him his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
The endorsement put Trump at odds with Amodei and much of Nevada’s Republican establishment, which has supported former state Senator James Settelmeyer.
Amodei has declined to back Flippo, calling him “not my cup of tea” and criticizing his lack of roots in Northern Nevada.
Military records show that Flippo received a Bronze Star for his service. A separate distinction, the “V” device, is awarded with the medal for acts of heroism during direct combat with an enemy.
A Bronze Star accompanied by the valor device is far less common than a standard Bronze Star awarded for meritorious service.
The inaccurate wording first appeared during Flippo’s 2023 congressional campaign. In his announcement video, a narrator described him as a “recipient of the Bronze Star that he received for valor.”
Military records confirm that Flippo received a Bronze Star for his service. The military separately uses the “V” device to recognize acts of heroism in direct combat with an enemy.
A February 2026 fundraising email falsely stated that Flippo had “earned the Bronze Star for valor.” His campaign later acknowledged the error, with a spokesperson blaming a copywriter who “accidentally” reused outdated talking points.
Despite the distinction, Flippo’s campaigns have repeatedly characterized the award as a Bronze Star “for valor.”
The claim can be traced to his 2023 congressional campaign, when the narrator in his launch video said he was a “recipient of the Bronze Star that he received for valor.”
The video was removed only after The Washington Post asked the campaign about the wording.
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The claim reappeared this year. Following Flippo’s endorsement by Combat Vets for Congress in February, a fundraising email said he had “earned the Bronze Star for valor.” A second appeal sent a week later used similar language.
The campaign now concedes that the descriptions were inaccurate, but its explanations have varied.
Spokesman Rory McShane told the Post that a copywriter had “accidentally” reused old talking points while producing hundreds of fundraising messages.
Flippo offered a different account, blaming video editors for mistakenly combining his Bronze Star with another honor, the Outstanding Unit Award with Valor.
“Three years ago, our video editors made a mistake,” Flippo said, adding that he regretted failing to review the wording more carefully.
Doug Sterner, a military-awards expert who has received two Bronze Stars, questioned why the valor description had been used repeatedly.
‘It’s pretty sad that this is a multiple-time thing,’ Sterner said. ‘It shows a pattern of deception. It is someone trying to give an impression of their service that is not true.’
Jason Dempsey, a retired Army infantry officer and national-security fellow, also characterized the wording as a significant exaggeration.
Flippo served in the Air Force for 24 years, from 1985 to 2009, according to a 2025 interview. He worked as a maintenance and logistics officer and served as a logistics commander during the Iraq War.
His military service included overseeing the distribution of millions of gallons of aviation fuel used to support thousands of combat sorties and strategic airlift missions.
The Nevada Republican Party has defended Flippo amid the controversy. In a statement, the party said his campaign had confused his Bronze Star with the Outstanding Unit Award with Valor.
The party argued that the mistake does not diminish Flippo’s military service or the decorations he earned, and criticized reporters for focusing on the wording error.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Flippo’s campaign for comment.