After Expressing Concerns and Spreading Negative Information On Herschel Walker, Washington Republicans Are Flocking To Support Him. What Changed?

Today, Mitch McConnell and the Washington GOP establishment are lining up behind Herschel Walker — after desperately trying to keep him out of the race with negative stories highlighting his checkered past and sketchy business dealings — because Walker will back McConnell’s agenda in the Senate. In addition to facing scrutiny for inflating his business record with associates calling him a “temperamental and unreliable business partner,” Walker has been a foremost proponent of false 2020 election conspiracies, calling for Trump and his allies to conduct a “total cleansing” two days before the January 6 insurrection. 

Here’s what Republicans had to say about Walker — so what’s changed?

• Minority Leader Mitch McConnell “privately expressed his deep concerns” about Walker’s candidacy throughout the summer and was desperately searching for other candidates — even meeting with failed former Senator Kelly Loeffler. McConnell faced mounting criticism after allies were behind negative stories that Marjorie Taylor Greene called “McConnell’s organized opposition research leak” to “dirty up” Walker and keep him out of the race. All of McConnell’s efforts failed and he has now capitulated to a candidate who has the same problems that he first highlighted. 

• Minority Whip John Thune joined McConnell in criticizing Walker, questioning if he could respond to hard questions about his past and noting that for Walker, “your background becomes an issue, your experience becomes an issue…sometimes people who have success in one area of life and translate it to politics, it’s not as easy as it looks.”

• Senator John Cornyn, a close ally of Mitch McConnell, when asked about concerns over Walker’s past said “I’d prefer to have somebody else.” 

• AJC: Trump sees Walker as ‘unstoppable’ candidate, but many in GOP are wary

• CNN: GOP fears grow over Herschel Walker as party leaders seek other candidates in Georgia Senate race 

• POLITICO: GOP to Herschel Walker: Consider staying on the bench 

• POLITICO Playbook: McConnell’s Herschel Walker problem

• Newsweek: Marjorie Taylor Greene Claims Mitch McConnell ‘Dirty Politics’ at Work Against Herschel Walker 

“Republicans’ many attempts to keep Walker out of the race failed, but the concerns they raised remain the same. So what changed? That’s the question Walker, and the political establishment from McConnell to Marjorie Taylor Greene, can’t answer,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia.

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