ATLANTA — U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker made a rare appearance in front of reporters Monday, moments after he qualified to run for the Republican nomination in May.
Shortly before Walker appeared, his GOP opponent Gary Black called on the former football star to be more visible and answer more questions.
"It’s time for Herschel Walker to get out and discuss these issues and we’re going to help him with that in the coming weeks," Black said.
Asked if Walker had accepted any proposed debates, Black said "No. And if I was his consultant, I’d keep him hidden as well."
Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black is trying to dislodge Walker from the top of the polls in the GOP senate race. The winner would take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in November 2022.
Moments later, Walker was asked if he would debate his GOP opponents, who also include former Navy Seal Latham Saddler.
"I’m thinking about debating with Raphael Warnock. That’s who I need to be debating right now," Walker answered.
Walker is a newcomer to politics who just moved back to Georgia from Texas. He has the backing of former President Trump. And after he qualified, Walker described debating other Republicans as merely playing games.
"I’m not going to play games. I’m not going to do any of that. People are speaking. Herschel is here to debate Raphael Warnock because I’m going to win this primary and going to win the general (election) as well," Walker said. "I think it’s playing games (to debate GOP opponents) when you’ve got people out on the street that are starving to death, people out on the street, that now the supply line is drying up. We’ve got the war. We’re almost at the brink of war."
Afterward, Black's spokesman sent a statement saying “Herschel Walker isn’t smart enough to debate anybody. He and his team know he’d be humiliated.”
Walker has mostly stuck to friendly questioning from Fox News hosts. On Monday, he answered questions about incidents of aggression reported to police by women, including a girlfriend who 10 years ago told police Walker threatened to “blow her head off” during a dispute.
11Alive asked if it was reasonable to judge his character based on those incidents, Walker said: "Well, where if the incident was true. Where violence against women, you have to decide for yourself whether that’s true. And anything else, I think people have got to judge that. I think people in Georgia know who I am. I wrote a book about it," attributing the incidents to mental health issues.
Walker added: "I think women are safer with Herschel Walker than anyone. Because I am the safe candidate in this race."