On the Georgia Trail: Why Warnock is emphasizing Walker abortion allegations

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock smiles while waiting to address voters in Clarkston, Ga. on Thursday, November 3, 2022. (Natrice Miller/natrice.miller@ajc.com)

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock smiles while waiting to address voters in Clarkston, Ga. on Thursday, November 3, 2022. (Natrice Miller/natrice.miller@ajc.com)

DECATUR – U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has long argued that his Republican opponent isn’t ready to represent Georgia in Congress. But he’s recently invoked damaging reports about Herschel Walker’s personal issues to contend the former football player is not fit for the job either.

As Warnock said to a crowd of a few dozen late Thursday in the Democratic stronghold of south DeKalb County: “These are serious times, and you need a serious person.”

The Democrat elaborated on his strategy in remarks to reporters, referring to recent allegations by two women who said Walker pressured them to get abortions in 1993 and 2009 -- claims that the Republican has rejected.

The second accuser told ABC News last week that she felt “threatened” by Walker to have an abortion in 1993. Walker is a staunch opponent of abortion rights and has called for a complete ban on the procedure, even in cases of rape or incest.

Warnock didn’t initially emphasize the allegations, saying instead they were part of a “disturbing pattern” of behavior. But his campaign has more recently aired TV ads and taken other steps to highlight the reports. Warnock said he had little other choice this close to the Nov. 8 vote.

“I’d rather not be talking about these things. But for a woman to say in such clear terms, ‘I feel threatened’ -- I can’t ignore that,” said Warnock. “I can’t ignore that as a pastor, I can’t ignore it as a father and I can’t ignore it as a brother.”

Walker has framed the reports as Democratic-inspired attacks to malign his campaign, which is neck-and-neck with the incumbent in recent polls. Warnock, in turn, said his rival is simply trying to dodge accountability.

“What we have learned about Herschel Walker is that not only can we not trust him to tell the truth, he doesn’t take responsibility for his own actions and his own decisions,” he said. “The people of Georgia, and the women of Georgia, deserve better than Herschel Walker.”

Warnock added: “He’s not ready and he’s not fit.”

***

Herschel Walker jabs at Hunter Biden in Cobb County stop

SMYRNA – Herschel Walker took aim at both Raphael Warnock and Hunter Biden at a rally in Cobb County, blasting a White House initiative to forgive some student college debt.

Walker said that Warnock, “begged the president to do this student relief loan, did he not?”

“Did ya’ll sign cosign for anybody’s loan, cause I didn’t,” he said.

“I read that they asked the students what they were doing with the loan. Do y’all hear what they were doing with it? They’re buying games and video games. They’re going on vacations, that gambling, they’re buying booze drugs,” he said.

“I’m like, that’s a weekend with a Hunter Biden, ” Walker said.

It wasn’t clear what Walker was referring to about students using loan forgiveness money for things like alcohol and drugs.

Biden’s younger son, Hunter, has acknowledged that he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.

Warnock supports the student debt relief plan.

***

Abrams connects Kemp’s refusal to expand Medicaid to Pence’s support for initiative

MACON — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams drew a line between Gov. Brian Kemp’s refusal to expand Medicaid to other prominent Republicans campaigning for him who supported the initiative.

She noted that Medicaid eligibility was extended to more residents in former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana, former Gov. Chris Christie’s New Jersey and Gov. Doug Ducey’s Arizona.

They all admitted what Kemp has refused to, Abrams said: Medicaid expansion is good for the people.

“I’m here to tell you math doesn’t work differently in Georgia than it works in any other state,” Abrams said. “And his refusal to accept Medicaid expansion has cost us lives, it has cost us jobs, and it needs to cost him his occupation and he needs to get out of the way.”

Abrams’ stump speech has taken on new energy in the closing days of the contest while polling continues to show her trailing Kemp. One of her biggest applause lines came after she renewed a vow to roll back anti-abortion restrictions that the Republican signed into law.

“It took a man to break the promise; it’s going to take a woman to put it right,” Abrams said as the crowd whooped and cheered.

Pastor Willie Griffin of the Macon Family Deliverance Center said afterward that Abrams’ speech was more like a testimony. He described her as a truth-teller who provided a stark contrast between her vision for Georgia and that of incumbent Kemp.

“She is the person that we need for Georgia at this time,” he said. “Georgia needs one governor for all the people, whether it’s rich or middle class or less.”

***

Former Gov. Chris Christie begins two-day campaign swing with Kemp

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he campaigned for then Secretary of State Brian Kemp in 2014, returned during his first run for governor in 2018 and now he is back in Georgia to support Kemp’s re-election bid.

During a campaign stop outside a Buckhead art gallery, Christie said the Democrat on the ballot, Stacey Abrams, has been propped up by out-of-state liberals who don’t understand Georgia.

“This is a woman who thinks because she was in Vogue magazine that makes her qualified to be governor of the state of Georgia,” he said. “This is a woman who believes because a whole bunch of elites threw her a whole bunch of money that that made her ready to lead a state.”

Christie told Kemp supporters that they can’t trust the polls that show him with a healthy lead over Abrams. They still need to show up and vote, he said.

“This race is not over,” he said. “The governor is not acting like it’s over. I’m not down here because it’s over. We are going to run through the tape. We are going to fight as hard as we have to fight. We cannot let Stacey Abrams become the governor of the state where we already have such a great governor in Brian Kemp.”

Christie is also scheduled to campaign with Kemp on Friday in Jefferson, Winder, Watkinsville, Madison and Monroe.