According to Donald Trump, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia will without a doubt be challenged by former NFL star and Herschel Walker.
Trump has long-encouraged the former Heisman winner’s political ambitions throughout their 37-year friendship. Walker has been of Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda since his first campaign in 2015, defending him against baseless allegations from the left.
Trump even wrote a statement of encouragement to Walker released to his Save America website:
INBOX:
Former President Trump releases a statement encouraging Herschel Walker to run for U.S. Senate in Georgia pic.twitter.com/77VQawgFtP— Stephanie Myers (@_StephanieMyers) March 10, 2021
Herschel spoke fondly of the Former President during last year’s CPAC event, where he gave a touching speech discrediting all allegations that Trump is a “racist.”
Herschel Walker is a 37-year friend of President Trump.
“It hurts my soul to hear the terrible names that people call Donald. The worst one is ‘racist.’ I take it as a personal insult that people would think I’d have a 37-year friendship with a racist." @HerschelWalker pic.twitter.com/ALOYL1HqJt
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 25, 2020
The two recently had dinner to celebrate Trump’s birthday. According to the Former President it was at that dinner table that Walker confirmed that he’s definitely going to challenge Warnock in 2022.
“He tells me he’s going to run, and I think he should,” Trump revealed on a radio interview.
Adding:
“I think it would be very, very hard to beat Herschel,” Trump said.
You can listen to the full audio clip here:
Mr. Trump heaped tons of praise of Walker, calling him “a great guy,” “a patriot,” “a very loyal person,” and “a very strong person.”
“I’ll tell you what, they love him in Georgia. He was the greatest running back in the history of the state … He is a fantastic guy, and they love him,” Trump said.
Walker did confirm back in April that a Senate run was definitely in the cards. The former NFL star said he was considering a plan of attack with his family and members of Team Trump and would make an official decision closer to the midterms. However, Trump’s revelation seems to confirm Herschel’s decision.
After receiving such glaring endorsement from the Former President, Walker went on Fox News to thank him.
“I thank President Trump and I’m very honored that they would consider me running for the Senate. My family and I, we’re still going through this process of praying and really considering it … ,’” he said in an interview.
“I will tell you this: Herschel Walker believes in God, I believe in this country, I believe in the people, and I’m going to fight for the people of Georgia if I run, so just stay tuned … It’s going to be exciting.”
Sen. Warnock will have to defeat a 2022 challenger if he wishes to serve a full six-year term in the Senate. Warnock ousted incumbent Kelly Loeffler in Georgia’s special election last year. Loeffler was appointed by Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp to replace Sen. Johnny Isakson who resigned due to poor health.
Walker is considered a top prospect to challenge Warnock. A poll released in March showed him narrowly defeating the incumbent Democrat in a head-to-head contest. Other would-be challengers are reportedly sitting on the sidelines as they await Walker’s decision.
Author: Sebastian Hayworth
