Topline
Days after a bombshell report revealed Herschel Walker, a staunch anti-abortion candidate in Georgia’s Senate race, paid for a former girlfriend’s abortion in 2009, the same woman told the New York Times on Friday he urged her to get a second abortion two years later—throwing another wrench into the Republican candidate’s campaign that’s already riddled with scandals.
Georgia GOP Senate nominee Herschel Walker allegedly asked his ex-girlfriend to have a second … [+]
Key Facts
The woman, whose name was not disclosed, told the New York Times Walker implored her to end her pregnancy in 2011, but decided against it, ending their relationship and giving birth to one of Walker’s four sons.
The woman also said Walker has been absent for much of their son’s life, at odds with his platform of family values and support for a nationwide ban on abortions without exceptions for rape, incest or harm to the mother.
While Walker did not respond to requests for comment to the Times, the paper did confirm details of the woman’s account with family court records and one of her friends.
The allegations are just the latest in a barrage of claims against Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner with the University of Georgia and outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump.
It comes just days after the Daily Beast reported Walker paid the anonymous woman $700 to cover the cost of an abortion—an allegation he denied, calling the report a “hatchet job from a democrat activist,” in a post on Twitter.
Chief Critic
Following the Daily Beast report, one of Walker’s other children, Christian Walker, called him out on social media, saying “you’re not a family man when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us.”
Key Background
Walker had been neck-and-neck with Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (47% to 47%) in an East Carolina University poll released in June, before the latest scandals. A SurveyUSA poll conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4, however, found him down 12 points (50% to 38%) with one month left before the midterm elections on Nov. 8. He has faced numerous scandals since announcing his campaign, including allegations of domestic violence on multiple women, including his ex-wife. Walker, who was endorsed by Trump, has since apologized for his history of violence, blaming outbursts on his mental health issues, although he won the Republican primary in May in a landslide, 55 points more than challenger Gary Black (68.2% to 13.3%).
Contra
Even amid the recent allegations, several major Republican lawmakers expressed their support for Walker ahead of the Senate race, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), chair of the National Republican Senate Committee said the committee and the GOP will “stand with (Walker).” The race is one of several that political analysts believe could determine which party controls the chamber.
Further Reading
Herschel Walker’s Son Christian Turns On Him—‘Everything Is A Lie’—As Scandal Grows (Forbes)
Herschel Walker Tumbles In Georgia Senate Poll As Scandals Mount (Forbes)
Republican Party ‘Stands With’ Herschel Walker Amid Abortion Scandal, National Chair Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/10/07/herschel-walker-allegedly-urged-ex-girlfriend-to-have-2nd-abortion–latest-scandal-to-hit-the-senate-candidate/