Herschel Walker’s Bad Night

The Georgia Senate candidate struggles to respond to an allegation he once paid for an abortion, and to a denunciation from his own son.

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Things looked good for Herschel Walker on Monday morning. The football legend and Georgia Republican, having survived a summer of embarrassing headlines, was keeping his Senate race close against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock, thanks to strong coattails from Gov. Brian Kemp, a resonant pro-America message, and improved message discipline in recent weeks.

But Monday night, in the space of just a few hours, the bottom fell out of Walker’s campaign.

First came an explosive report from the Daily Beast: A woman alleged that she had conceived a child with Walker in 2009, that he had urged her to get an abortion, and that he had then paid for it. The report was corroborated by a friend she had reportedly told at the time and physical evidence: a receipt for a $700 personal check dated the same week as the abortion and a get-well card, both signed by Walker.

Walker fiercely denied the report. “I’m not taking this anymore,” he said in a statement posted to Twitter. “I planning [sic] to sue the Daily Beast for this defamatory lie. It will be filed tomorrow morning.”

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  1. Bridges, C. W.

    It’s appalling how surprising this…isn’t.

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    Rjosephpaquette

    Name a Republican candidate you like and support because he's a good person and a thoughtful leader.
    Not because 'he fights' or 'he's not a Democrat'.
    I can only think of one or two--I reserve their name for myself.

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      Kmregan7

      I'm a Democrat. Just for some bona-fides :-) I like Larry Hogan. I think he's a thoughtful leader, and a good person (although, of course, it's never truly easy to tell since politicians are like actors and usually pretty skilled at acting)

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    Jon McKinney

    Walker is emblematic of the problem with a two party system. Partisans are so entrenched that a train wreck like Walker still has a pretty good chance of winning this election. When will people start worrying about the country rather than their political party?

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      Kmregan7

      When they start to realize that worrying about their political party has nothing to do with worrying about the country. Right now, people (on both sides, and I do it too), think their party is the one that will make sure America is "safe"......

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  4. rc4797

    Walker will probably lose, but this won't guarantee it. Any Republican who hasn't already walked away from this current deranged batch of Republicans has demonstrated that they will vote for the devil incarnate just to "stick it to the woke libs."

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    Stephanie

    Reading the Twitter comments from Herschel Walker's supporters is so depressing. The ability of people to lie to themselves is incredible.

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    NYerInExile

    On a national level the Republican Party is in sad shape. In Georgia it is a disaster. A state party that can embrace Marjorie Taylor Greene and Herschel Walker in its ranks has shown its true colors. This is not a question of the quality of the candidate, but a question of the quality of the person.

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    1. rc4797

      The Republican Party is in sad shape on ALL levels.

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  7. Ken Motamed

    It's not unheard of for someone to do an about-face on an issue: Trump used to be pro-choice. Walker should have admitted that he encouraged the woman to have an abortion and that he paid for it. Now, he'll be exposed as a liar too.

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      Mudskipper

      I'd bet you anything that Walker would pay for an abortion tomorrow for a pregnant girlfriend as long as he thought it could be kept quiet. If Trump has the ability to get anyone pregnant at this point, he'd do the same thing.

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  8. Vitaly

    There are no good options here for Walker, Republicans or the Pro-Life movement. Even if Walker somehow wins because Georgia is a red state, Warnock is too far to the left etc... the GOP will be saddled with this for the next two years! This will come up every time the GOP in the Senate try to bring an abortion-restricting bill to a vote. And, this will then have implications for 2024. It is better for Pro-Life movement if Walker loses.

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    Ms. SSM

    This election season these are my hopes in priority order.

    Hershel Walker loses.
    Dems keep Senate.
    Dems keep House.

    If I can only get one thing let it be that first one. My desire for his loss eclipses my desire for all other victories. Please Lord do me this one solid.

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      Michel van der Hoek

      I hope the Senate remains tied. I want Joe Manchin to remain King of America and prevent Schumer from eradicating the filibuster.

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        Stephanie

        They’ve been a well-behaved Senate for awhile now, passing good legislation like good boys and girls with it being 50-50. I like the way it’s working just now.

        Schumer has screwed up now and then but he’s better than McConnell with his obstruction and gamesmanship.

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        Ms. SSM

        It would take 52Dems to have a small chance of the filibuster going. Manchin and Sinnema are the vocal opposers but there are likely some quiet ones. Probably need 55 to make it happen. So if the Dems pick up a seat don’t worry too much about the Fillibuster. It’s unlikely to fall. And I say that as someone who really wants it to!

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      3. Kyle Gionis

        This makes me picture Manchin with an ill fitting crown on his head. Bravo!

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          Michel van der Hoek

          With bullet holes in it because he used it for target practice.

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          1. Kyle Gionis

            and rusted because he left it out in the rain...

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    BrettH

    The GOP keeps circling the drain with their Senate candidate choices. I'm sure Senator Walker will be held in the highest esteem in the halls of Congress should he prevail due to pure partisanship. Ol' Cocaine Mitch knows the deal with respect to poor quality candidates.

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