Herschel Walker, the former football star who is running for the Senate, is, according to the Times political reporter Maya King, a “demigod in Georgia sports and in Georgia culture.”
The midterm election in that state is crucial — it could determine whether Democrats keep control of the Senate. Mr. Walker’s candidacy, however, has been tainted by a slew of stories about his character, including claims that he paid for an abortion for a former girlfriend despite publicly opposing the procedure.
Guest: Maya King, a politics reporter covering the South for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- How Republicans cast aside concerns and learned to love Mr. Walker.
- Will any of the allegations against Mr. Walker actually matter?
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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many times, I'm likeable borrow. This is a daily Joe Biden is the winner of georgia. This is a huge victory for the democratic.
A state they ve long of much of the focus of georgia's flip from red to blue in twenty twenty was on its rule in delivering the white house to democrats, democrat
officially secured senate control, after winning both run up races in georgia, but equally important was what happened a few months later, when georgia voters handed democrats control of the senate
now combat senator raphia war, not is hoping to hold onto his currency, georgia. Maybe the state
german, whether democrats keep control
of the senate, because of a closely fought race that has become increasingly focused on the personal life and alleged.
hypocrisy of the republican nominee, herschel walker, the warmer college, football
There has been battered by series of scandals. In recent weeks going today, my colleague, my king, on the story
of walkers candidacies
its Monday october, seventeenth, my after twenty twenty republicans,
a very big decision to make given how bad things went for them in georgia, which was who to nominate for the us senate in two thousand and twenty two. So how did they end up picking hershel walker? What's that story? So after the twenty twenty presidential election and the twenty twenty one senate run off, republicans had to do some soul searching some recalibrating, because one of the reasons that they lost those two senate seats was low. Voter turnout in the runoffs, many republicans in georgia,
decided to stay home because they didn't trust the elections. Donald trump was saying again and again that the election had been stolen from him, that it was unfair, that the results couldn't fully be trusted. So once we get to the twenty twenty two mid terms and the Senate primary republicans were very focused on finding a candidate who would bring people back out to vote,
and someone who could bring a little bit of star power, or at least some name recognition to match that of the reverend, now senator roughly
warnock and someone who was able to raise the money and essentially do the work to put back together. This republican coalition
georgia, conservative not because
told me: univee unconcerned,
because, I believe in smaller government and that's why it was such a huge deal when, in august, twenty twond
one. My name is ruth war and run
but the united states in crucial walker, officially announced that he would be running for the united states senate, I'm a key,
from a small town in georgia, we of the american dream and I'm by
key dream alive. Were you too and tell me about,
walker. I know it's hard to overstate just who herschel walker is
to football fans and two southerners, but particularly to georgians. He played for the university of georgia and the nineteen eighties now a great pleasure to
The winner of the nineteen eighty two I memorial trophy from the university of georgia, arsenal locker walker
and actually won the heisman trophy, which even I know, is the most prestigious award in college football. Yes, he is
a demi god in georgia, sports and in georgia, culture and so on. We're talking about star power and someone who can clear a field and someone who can raise the money. It was all but certain that, while walker was completely untested that his past was not fully vetted, he would still be the kind of candidate that many in the republican party in georgia were looking for to reignite some of that energy that had really been lacking among the republican electorate in georgia heading into a very competitive
very high stakes: rotten for the united states Senate user, that walker really have been fed, and so
explain why that becomes important. They were aspects of walkers pass that had not fully been reviewed. There is this incident between his ex wife cindy Grossman and
after walker, that miss grossman describes in great detail in interviews where walker in a fit of rage, puts a gun to her temple and threatens to pull the trigger. Threatens to kill her well, that's pretty extraordinary, it is and it something that might otherwise
is disqualify a candidate with far less star power and far less influence than herschel walker. However, personal walker has written a book about his struggles with mental illness.
And mentions this incident, saying that this was an unfortunate consequence of this struggles with mental health, and these concerns were tested a little bit during the primary culture. So gay
black. One of her shall walkers more formidable. Opponents in the primary essentially sounded the alarm about walker in his campaign. If he is, the nominated for the republic of the race will be about first walker and its deficiencies from june to november period. Black warned
there's that if they shows herschel walker, that these kinds of allegations would be the type of thing that could cause him to lose a general election. I interviewed gary black during the primary a few weeks before the election, and he told me if herschel
or is the nominees for the republican party in georgia. The race will be about herschel walker, if I'm the nominee
The rest will be about Raphael. Warnock republican
new going into this race that this would be part of walkers otto file. So how is it that walker?
because we know he does when the primary ends up. Overcoming this pretty potent line of attack from Gary black well, one of the big things that happens of course, is that he,
here's the race with the endorsement of water. That is greatly to be back in this incredible state where former president donald trump noon the next year
It said senator from georgia, my good friend and water. That libya is. This is a close personal friend, also of walker, herschel walker
he's got everything about version and on top of that again, walkers celebrity and stuff.
Power here is something that really excites republican voters in georgia. They like the fact that they have one of the biggest names in the states, history carrying their parties banner for the united states senate, and he wins the republican nomination for the senate by a landslide and defeat scary black by more than fifty points by the end of the night.
when walker wins, I'm quite curious. What political professionals in the state and reporters like you, maya started to make of his chances in the general election,
given everything you've just laid out these liabilities and given who walker was
to face this celebrity in his own ride, democratic settler, Raphael Warnock. I think there were still some misgivings there, but walker also had tried to get ahead of some of these,
domestic violence allegations saying you know that this was something that really did happen and that he has since apologized,
and made a man's. He entered this race kind of already, as if he had dealt with those things it felt like he was still very much a strong contender against Raphael Warnock. So how do the two of them campaign against each other? Once we
and her. The general action very quickly is right. Now, sinner worn out, doesn't care about? This country needs to be put in america. Second, herschel walker makes his campaign
bout, Raphael, warnock and democratic leadership in Washington right
now says: reverie are one I've been in office. We hired
is, we got our gas price and got his argument from day. One has been that a vote
rough ale. Warnock is very likely to.
maintain democratic control of the senate
he's gone down and decent
we tried to equate Raphael warnock with Joe Biden. Interesting,
and if we continue to have leadership like Joe Biden reveal one whose cut front saying cloth this? What we're going to get,
It wait. Leaders and washington have shown that there are weak and without warnock what is his message:
I am warnock there, a senator a pastor.
but a magician not warner. I've campaigns, largely on his record in the senate, so in just a year in the senate did I think I could fix washington, of course not. But every day I focused on
I could do for our city and goes to not just democratic stronghold talking to us base, but is more deep red counties in central and southern georgia. Work with Democrats and republicans if it means helping georgia and one thing that he's really talked about quite a bit on the stump
is his work with republican senators, who are both the commerce committed. He talks quite a bit about the crews warnock amendment, this funding that he was able to secure in partnership
senator ted crews from texas, and so here we are
Two men who disagree some might think on almost every day, but we got together on the night to expand a portion of a highway. Connecting george
in texas order. My job as a legislator is to read it
there is a road at once raw humanity has been
that politics, bigger than race, bigger region. All of these arguments that Raphael Warnock is making one are his way of talking to those conservative or independent, moderate voters who have some misgivings about democratic leadership. Saying that I work with republicans, and I can continue to do that and also, I think it's his way of trying to say. Look. I've already been in the united
Senate. I know how this thing works, so send me back for a full term right. What I'm not hearing you say, my is. The warnock addresses herschel walkers,
general life. These extraordinary, in some cases, violent stories that are right there for the taking he doesn't. He really goes out of his way to not say anything about them. Why? I think it's a few things. One graphite we're not as a senator he's, also a pastor. He has a brand of not going so well. The other thing is this question of whether raphia warnock should he weighed into more conversation and talk more about walkers pass in these allegations, if that would give republicans licence to also on earth dirt or controversy that they can find around Raphia weren't ox person alive:
and is there something there for them to find in twenty twenty? He and his wife had an argument outside of her home where she claimed that he ran over her foot police when they were called to the scene and paramedics found note physical damage to her and Raphael. Warnock was not charge and the objects of that incident were not great got it. So for war art there is very little upside in speaking about herschel walkers history, with his wife, no and senator warnock and his wife were now divorced, and so the details of those proceedings too. I believe our things that Democrats and warnock would rather steer totally clear of
I do not want to give republicans any sort of opening to look a little bit further at so at this point, as the general election has gotten under way we're talking about a spring that morning, from walkers primary opponent. Gary
black. His warning that nominating herschel walker would make the race all about walker and not about the demo.
As for all reasons that you have just laid out, that hasn't happened. Has it no and the race remains within the margin of error, an extremely tight virtual tie, but the race is very quickly going to become entirely about walker, as a number of shoes start to drop around him and his personal life will be right back.
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more added, why times, dot com, slash climate forward events somewhere tales about these shoes that started drop around herschel walker.
Well, we start to see stories about aspects of herschel, walkers, personal life. That contradict a lot of what he said in interviews in
some new and eleven republic in georgia senate candidate, who, for walker, is acknowledging a second son, the first story to come out from the daily beast
So walker is admitting that he has a ten year old son who he didn't raise where they report at herschel. Walker has assign who he does not
see and is not involved in his life court documents show that the boys mother had too soon for paternity and child support, and how does that contradict? How is campaigning well in interviews with a number of conservative personalities?
at times during campaign events there we saw with the wool- is even
I believe that woman, even if you have to leave that woman, you don't need to chop. Hershel. Walker has repeatedly said that a big issue in african american communities is this problem of absentee fathers and.
says download apologize after the african american community that he wants to apologise to the black community for the ways that black men have not been.
active because I know the family home is a major major problem, fascinating and suddenly he is that very absentee father himself. It revealed right,
two days later earlier. This week the daily bees reported that walker had a second sign and wait. There's more another story comes out about two additional children, but herschel walker has who we also does not see,
personal walker now says that he is the father of another son as well as a daughter, and so he essentially contradicts himself in a major message that he's tried to deliver here against absentee fathers, particularly in black households, and then comes another big bombshell accordingly, daily beast
endorsed georgia, republicans, senate nominee, herschel walker, allegedly gotta, woman present
in two thousand and nine, and then he paid for her to have an abortion, and that comes in the form,
of a major story about a woman who alleged that herschel walker paid for her to have an abortion. The daily beast has the woman's receipt for the procedure,
The czech walker, central days later, they even have a photo of the
well card walker apparently set the woman after the abortion card. Reading quote rest relax a cover
you're saying I pray. You are feeling better with what looks like walker signature gauge. This woman claimed that, while she was living in italy
she and her show walker had a relationship
c d- child, an herschel walker, told her that the time thirteen years ago, when they did conceived the child was not right for him to have a baby and asked her to have the procedure. So I have to imagine this is a very complicated revelation for able public in candidate. For u s, especially a republican candidate like herschel walker, who has really been an outlier on the right.
In his staunch opposition to abortion. He is said repeatedly on the campaign trail that he is against abortion, with no exceptions so
herschel walker, who has contradicted his policy position.
On being a father who takes care of his children is now accused of contradicting
his position when it comes to abortion by saying no exceptions for an abortion, except for the exception of me right and I spoke to the woman who said that herschel walker paid for her to have an abortion.
But also asked her to have a second abortion when she became pregnant a second time he with the child. That is now there's one of the children who has been reported to be one of herschel walker, children that he does not spend time with some. I'm really curious. Once this cascade of revelations becomes public means really bombshell things to emerge in the heat of a general election campaign. What
the reaction from republican voters in georgia. The most immediate reaction from the republican party is
rally around walker to sort of wrapped their arms around him, even tighter one of the first events that walker had right after the story was first published a few weeks ago. He went to a baptist meg
church in metro atlanta and was surrounded by around two hundred two hundred and fifty km.
Serve it. If activists, walker, supporters, largely white, but a fair amount, also of black evangelicals, who were there too,
I support him and so press were not allowed inside this actual event, which was billed as a prayer luncheon for hershel walker. But according to some readouts that we got from people who actually attended. Mister walker was met with a hero's welcome as soon as he walked into this luncheon. He got a standing ovation. People told him that they had his back, that they were on his side and, at the end of this luncheon circled around him in prayer laid hands on him and prayed for the success of his campaign and for his strength in the face of what they saw.
Was an outright attack on someone who they believe is a good man who is being unfairly targeted, four aspects of his personal life, and these are religious people who presumably would be the hardest on her,
oh walker, for violating their moral code
like abortion, yours
They are doubling down on their support of him when they learn that he has done this. Yes and
think it's important to remember here that, while MR walker S, behaviour might run counter to what their beliefs are religiously. There is also the political argument to be made that at this moment, has proven to be even stronger that, while herschel walker has possibly
in these abortions or not been active in the lives of his children. There are
Any who believe that those stories are wrong, that this is part of a larger agenda that the media might have against herschel walker, and then there are also those religious.
servitor voters who still believe that, even if MR walker is a flawed candidate, if he is alive,
to the united states senate, he will uphold conservative christian principles right, and this is
compromise, we saw many religious conservatives make when it came to donald trump in two thousand
steam? They understood that his personal life did not conform to his conservative political views. They didn't care because they believed he would do their bidding in washington and he did over and over and over again it seems the same compromise
is being articulated here when it comes to social and religious conservatives and herschel walker right,
And so I was curious about how some of these voters the types who might not necessarily come to a church and pray over Hershel walker, but worse still deciding whether to support him might feel at this stage of the campaign. Hey. How are you I'm good? How are you so? I and our colleague Robert Jemison, went to a farmers market in the atlanta suburb of alpharetta about thirty miles north of the city. Let's see here, we want to talk to and we talked to a number of,
different kinds of voters. How would you characterize your politics? Which party do you usually identify with more I'm a republican? So how are you feeling, then, specifically around the Senate race between Raphia warnock, herschel walker, who do you plan to support at this stage? I simply don't know to be honest with you. I do struggle with that one for those who work.
Serve. Some of them were sure if they wanted to support herschel walker. Do any of these allegations get in the way of your ability to make a decision on whether or not your support, herschel walker, yes
like the hypocritical side of the herschel walker thing. I think there are a lot more qualified candidates for the role I wish there was someone else, but there's not disappointed. The republican party chose him. Some people felt like they were going to leave the Senate portion of the ballot completely blank, probably not voting,
does not vote on that particular category since summer Republican its it might be something I don't check off when you vote, then, for rough ale,
warnock. It would either be you vote for Hershel walker or nobody correct
Then there were others who said Amelia prior virtually no one to georgia, tech today
yeah. I am a republican and I want to see republican control of the senate. Raphael Warnock has been a rubber stamp for Biden. So just don't give me some of these sports Biden.
Percent, that's really it and they understood that, while herschel walker might have a lot of personal baggage, he would still be a reliable republicans.
in the chamber. At the end of the day, if you get to involving
private loss of any politician you, although for any of them I mean, let's be honest, their politicians,
and we all know that basically, politicians have a certain degree of wine treatment and stealing on where they wouldn't be. Politicians
So there are a variety of outcomes that could take place here. But it's important to remember also that for all of these voters, who are
saying that they are not sure these voters,
are weighing leaving the Senate portion blank or voting for the third party candidate
These are the voters that walker is really going to have to work to win over and we're still talking about a swing state where elections can be decided by fewer than twenty thousand votes, and so it's not a great sign for the worse
Your campaign that the kinds of voters who would normally be all in for a republican ticket that there is a critical mass of those voters who are saying that they're just not quite sure if they can cast a ballot
shall walker yet right after telling you they might leave their ballot blank. That's a problem for walker. Yes, so I want to return to the very beginning of our conversation, because it was about a tough decision that republicans had to make in a swing steel. Gary Black said, if you pick herschel walker, this race will become all about walker that has very much help
and it seems it has happened to the detriment of republicans and is made this more of an uphill battle. Then perhaps it needed to be
Every moment that voters spend thinking about herschel, walkers, past and background is a moment that republicans wish they would spend thinking about Joe Biden and the economy. Instead, these are their backroom conversations that conservative straight
just are having when they express their concerns about just how well walker might perform in november, and so
its clear that walkers damaging reports his performance over the last several months is bringing back some pretty painful memories for republicans in georgia, who fear that they may have sabotage themselves that they may have traded in political viability for celebrity, whom I thank you very much. We push it. Thank you
the times reports that, since herschel dockers, ex girlfriend accused him of paying for an abortion for different ports, have found that has fallen
behind Raphia warnock by an average of two point, five percentage points. So
trusting that the scandal has heard walker standing with georgia voters during their first
and only debate on Friday night warnock made a rare and pointed reference to walkers personal life. Saying quote my children know that I am with them and for them
and that I support them in every single way that a father does hmm right back.
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what else you need to know today, Britain's new prime minister liz truss, who has already been forced to abandon her
Ship domestic policy of cutting taxes and to fire her top economic adviser, suffered
a new humiliation over the weekend when she was publicly repudiated
by the man she has appointed to stabilize her governess,
It was wrong to cut the top rate of tax for the very highest earners,
at a time when we're gonna have to be asking for sacrifices from everyone to get through a very difficult period. In a series of interviews that man, Jeremy, hot, said that trust as economic policy has been a mistake, we won't have the speed of tax cuts, we're hoping for some taxes will have to go up. That's the reality of the very challenging situation we face, because trust had no plan to pay for her plan tat.
cuts. The proposal's spooked Britain's financial markets sent the value of the country's currency, plunging raised borrowing costs for the government and has left many wondering if trust may soon be ousted as prime minister
to these episode was produced
by rachel cluster sidney, harper and nina feldman withheld from Robert Jemison.
It was edited by patricia wilkins and work. George contained
original music by marrying lozano indian power and
was engineered by Chris. Would our theme, music is by
braun burg, and then the advice of wonderingly
the
that's it for daily
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Transcript generated on 2022-10-19.