Obama calls race between Warnock and Walker a ‘study in contrast’
Former President Barack Obama took swipes at Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, calling the differences between him and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock a “study in contrast.”
He asked the crowd what type of person they want to represent them in the Senate.
“It is somebody that appears around the a toy badge and says he’s in law enforcement, like he’s a kid playing cops and robbers,” Obama said regarding Walker’s honorary badge that doesn’t give him the powers of an officer. “I can tell you what Raphael Warnock cares about. As your senator, he hasn’t been off chasing wacky conspiracy theories. He hasn’t been drumming up fear and division.”
Obama praised Walker’s football career, but asked the crowd how that qualifies him for the U.S. Senate.
“It seems to me he’s a celebrity who wants to be a politician, and we’ve seen how that goes,” he said, referring to former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Walker.
Obama also called Walker’s character into question, referencing reports that while Walker has campaigned saying he believes abortion should be illegal, he has paid for two past girlfriends to get abortions. Walker has denied the accusations.
“I’m not big on poking into peoples’ private lives. I think that should be between them and their family,” he said. “Whats not between them and their family are issues of character. ... having certain rules foryou and your important friends and other rules for everybody else. that says something about the kind of leader you’re going to be.”
About the Author
Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.
