McConnell backs ex-football star Walker for Georgia Senate

3 years ago 215

WASHINGTON – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell connected Wednesday endorsed Herschel Walker for the Senate successful Georgia, lending the clout of the highest-ranking elected GOP authoritative successful the state to the candidacy of a erstwhile shot prima whose turbulent idiosyncratic history could make problems for his wide predetermination campaign.

Walker is the odds-on favourite to triumph the Republican superior adjacent May and astatine an archetypal glimpse seems to person a coveted governmental illustration arsenic helium seeks the accidental to unseat Democrat Raphael Warnock, the state's archetypal Black senator, and assistance the GOP regain power of the Senate.

Walker was a shot leader astatine the University of Georgia earlier a agelong NFL career. He’s a concern proprietor whose chickenhearted products are wide distributed. And he’s a Black blimpish with backing from former President Donald Trump, a longtime person who repeatedly urged Walker to run.

But helium besides has a lengthy past of intelligence wellness struggles, overmuch of which Walker elaborate successful his autobiography. An probe by The Associated Press successful July revealed accusations that Walker repeatedly threatened his ex-wife’s life, exaggerated claims of fiscal occurrence and alarmed concern associates with unpredictable behavior.

McConnell, R-Ky., was initially chill to a Walker candidacy. But by endorsing him now, McConnell tin sidestep what could person been a messy intraparty combat with Trump that mightiness person analyzable the quest to retake a Senate majority.

“I americium blessed to endorse Herschel Walker for U.S. Senate successful Georgia," McConnell said successful a statement. "Herschel is the lone 1 who tin unite the party, decision Senator Warnock, and assistance america instrumentality backmost the Senate. I look guardant to moving with Herschel successful Washington to get the occupation done.”

Walker was effusive successful his ain statement, praising McConnell's "commitment to bringing the enactment unneurotic toward the corporate extremity of defeating Senator Warnock.”

"The Democrats person already said they volition walk immoderate it takes to support Georgia blue," Walker said. "The stakes person ne'er been higher — if we each enactment together, we volition triumph adjacent November, and instrumentality backmost the Senate. Team Herschel is precise thankful for Senator McConnell’s support.”

The 2022 Senate contention is shaping up arsenic 1 of the astir heavy contested races of the predetermination cycle. Georgia, agelong coagulated GOP territory, became a apical battleground aft Democrat Joe Biden carried it past twelvemonth successful the statesmanlike predetermination successful November. Democrats past took some Senate seats successful run-off elections successful January.

Warnock won a peculiar predetermination to capable retired the remainder of the word of Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who retired, and volition person to tally successful 2022 for a six-year term.

A fig of Republicans rapidly lined up to participate the primary. But Walker, who cryptically teased a candidacy for months, efficaciously froze the tract due to the fact that of his adjacent affiliation with Trump.

Walker launched his run successful precocious August and is 1 of a fistful of Trump-backed candidates who person raised GOP worries due to the fact that they received minimal screening earlier earning the erstwhile president's endorsement.

Walker disclosed his intelligence unwellness successful a 2008 book, “Breaking Free,” detailing a diagnosis of dissociative individuality disorder. In that account, Walker told of arsenic galore arsenic a twelve personalities — oregon “alters” — that helium had constructed arsenic a defence mechanics against the bullying helium said helium endured arsenic a stuttering, overweight child.

The National Alliance connected Mental Illness describes the upset arsenic “alternating betwixt aggregate identities,” leaving a idiosyncratic with “gaps successful representation of each time events.” It notes men with the upset often “exhibit much convulsive behaviour alternatively than amnesia.”

In his book, Walker acknowledged convulsive urges. He wrote that helium played Russian roulette and recalled sitting astatine his room array successful 1991 pointing a gun, loaded with a azygous bullet, astatine his head. “I wasn’t suicidal,” Walker explained, but “just looked astatine mortality arsenic the eventual challenge.”

Walker pitched a turnaround story, saying helium decided successful 2001 that “it was clip to halt moving and look immoderate harsh realities.” He cited therapy and his Christian religion arsenic influences.

His watershed moment: driving his car to face a antheral who had “messed up my schedule” and reasoning astir what it would beryllium similar to sprout the man. Walker changed course, helium wrote, aft seeing a bumper sticker with the connection “SMILE. JESUS LOVES YOU.”

Yet Walker’s convulsive behaviour continued good aft the 2001 revelation and his efforts to get help, according to tribunal records obtained by the AP.

Walker’s ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, noted his outbursts successful their divorcement proceedings, telling of “physically abusive and threatening behavior.” In 2005, 4 years aft she had sued for divorce, Grossman returned to the tribunal for a protective bid aft Walker repeatedly voiced a tendency and an intent to termination her and her boyfriend.

According to an affidavit from Grossman’s sister, Maria Tsettos, Walker called looking for his ex-wife portion she was retired with her caller boyfriend. Tsettos took the telephone and said Walker became “very threatening” erstwhile told of Grossman’s whereabouts. In Tsettos’ recollection, Walker “stated unequivocally that helium was going to sprout my sister Cindy and her fellow successful the head.”

Walker contacted Tsettos different clip and repeated the threats successful graphic terms, and, according to Grossman’s relationship to the court, Walker confronted her successful nationalist aboriginal that day: He “slowly drove by successful his vehicle, pointed his digit astatine (her) and traced (her) with his digit arsenic helium drove.”

In granting a protective bid against Walker, a Texas justice stripped Walker’s rights to person a firearm for a time.

Concerns astir Walker’s behaviour carried into his chickenhearted business, present known arsenic Renaissance Man Food Services, according to tribunal filings.

Walker has said his institution employed hundreds of people, included chickenhearted processing plants successful Arkansas and grossed $70 cardinal to $80 cardinal annually successful sales. Yet erstwhile Walker applied for the national Paycheck Protection Program past year, his institution reported conscionable 8 employees, receiving $182,000 successful aid.

In a caller tribunal case, Walker indicated the institution averaged astir $1.5 cardinal successful yearly nett from 2008 to 2017. Meanwhile, Walker’s concern associates testified successful the aforesaid lawsuit that helium does not ain chickenhearted processing plants, arsenic helium claims. Instead, they described him arsenic a licensing spouse who lends his sanction to the enterprise.

Records generated successful a 2018 wrongful termination suit — the worker yet mislaid — picture Walker arsenic a temperamental and unreliable partner.

Walker's superior rivals pledged to forge on, contempt McConnell's endorsement.

“We’re successful this contention to triumph it, we’re Georgia’s campaigner (not the Swamp’s),” said Georgia's agriculture commissioner Gary Black, who compared his run to the Atlanta Braves' unexpected World Series run. “Our mindset contiguous is the aforesaid arsenic the #Braves: Kill the narrative.”

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