Republican challenger Herschel Walker of Georgia outperformed expectations in the first major debate of his political career. Walker is vying for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Democrat Raphael Warnock, who was elected in a runoff two years ago.
On Friday, the two candidates met on stage for their first and only debate. They were asked questions about a wide range of issues, including abortion, packing the U.S. Supreme Court, high gas prices, and recent spikes in violent crime. Walker managed to land several figurative blows on the incumbent, and clips of his performance have since gone viral.
Perhaps Walker’s most memorable moment came when he attacked Warnock, a Christian pastor, for his support for abortion without limitations.
“[Sen. Warnock] told me that black lives matter,” Walker said. “And if you think about it, Senator, in Atlanta, Georgia, there’s more black babies that is aborted than anything. So, if black lives matter, why are you not protecting those babies? And instead of aborting those babies, why are you not baptizing those babies?”
Walker has made his Christian faith a central component of his campaign. In his opening remarks, he reaffirmed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and frequently referenced Christian values as the basis for his worldview. When asked whether he paid for a woman to abort his child in 2009, Walker denied the accusation and explained in part, “[O]n abortion, you know, I’m a Christian. I believe in life.”
But abortion was not the only issue on which Walker challenged Warnock. He claimed that Warnock has voted to support the agenda of President Joe Biden 96% of the time. He also tied Warnock to Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, contrasting his own friendship and loyalty to former President Trump to the lack of loyalty shown to those in Afghanistan and those U.S. servicemen and women who died or were injured in the withdrawal.
“President Trump is my friend,” Walker said. “I won’t leave my allies, which is what Senator Warnock and Joe Biden did in Afghanistan. They left their allies.”
Walker blamed Warnock and Biden for rising gas prices and called for a return to the energy independence America enjoyed under Trump.
Walker also mentioned that Warnock’s Ebenezer Baptist Church has reportedly been sued by former tenants who claim that church leaders evicted them for as little as $28.55 in late rent, even as the church allegedly gives Warnock, a senior pastor, a housing allowance of more than $7,400 a month.
Warnock attacked Walker as well. In an especially dramatic moment, Warnock accused his opponent of having pretended to be a police officer, a statement which prompted cheers from supporters in the audience. Walker then pulled a badge from his pocket to demonstrate an affiliation with law enforcement, a move that debate moderators chastised as against the rules.
The exact nature of the badge and its authenticity are unknown.
Last month, Walker, a political rookie, seemed to try to temper expectations about his future debate performance, insisting to reporters, “I’m a country boy. I’m not that smart. He’s a preacher. (Warnock) is smart and wears these nice suits. So, he is going to show up and embarrass me at the debate Oct. 14th, and I’m just waiting to show up and I will do my best.”
However, the former Heisman Trophy winner appeared to use his southern drawl and folksy manner of speaking to his advantage, establishing himself as a true Georgian, not a global elitist.
The Walker/Warnock race remains tight. The RealClearPolitics polling average has Warnock with a 3.3-point advantage. No polling data has been released since the debate.