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Walker Still Refusing to Endorse Kemp, Speculates that Governor’s Race will “Heat Up” as Trump Declares Walker/Perdue “Unstoppable Team”
December 16, 2021
The fallout from failed former Senator David Perdue’s decision to challenge Brian Kemp in the Georgia GOP primary continues, as Herschel Walker still refuses to endorse the embattled governor and instead stokes the GOP infighting — noting that “this governor’s race is going to heat up,” while Donald Trump’s endorsement of a Walker/Perdue “team” brings the entire Georgia GOP “a new level of chaos.”
In case you’re just tuning into the GOP headaches:
- Walker still refuses to endorse Kemp, expects GOP infighting to “heat up.” On Sunday, when asked by a Fox News host about David Perdue entering the race and promising he “would not have certified Georgia’s 2020 election results,” Walker refused to endorse the incumbent governor — instead stoking the GOP brawl and speculating that “this governor’s race is going to heat up” as his biggest benefactor, Donald Trump, sends the Georgia GOP into a panic.
- Perdue says the “reality that Herschel faces” is Kemp will damage his Senate bid. Last week, Perdue called Kemp a drag on Trump-favorite Walker, saying that the incumbent governor will not “get the Trump loyalists back out” and this problem will be “a reality that Herschel faces” with Kemp on the ballot.
- Trump plays up Perdue and Walker as an “unstoppable team.” While Walker refuses to endorse incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp, Trump formally endorsed his handpicked ticket, directly linking Perdue and Walker together as an “unstoppable team” for Trump supporters. As a GPB News reporter notes, it will be “hard for Herschel Walker to sit on the sidelines (or be seen as sitting on the sidelines) in the gov race when Trump says stuff like this.”
- Hannity: Kemp will hurt Walker in the Senate race. Fox host Sean Hannity — Walker’s most frequent and friendly interviewer since his “closed-door” campaign began — told his viewers last week that Perdue entering the race is “good for Herschel Walker” and that “Kemp would also end up hurting Herschel Walker in his race against Raphael Warnock.”
- Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan calls out Perdue and Walker: Walker has no vision, not talking to voters. Last week, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan penned an op-ed asserting that Walker “has yet to articulate a political vision or make the case to voters why he is best-suited to be their senator,” while noting that much like Perdue, Walker has “not outlined a clear rationale or reason to run” for Georgians.
“This is the nightmare scenario that Georgia Republicans wanted to avoid, and Herschel Walker refusing to back the incumbent governor speaks volumes,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “While Republicans fight each other, Democrats are focused on rebuilding our infrastructure, expanding access to health care, and delivering relief for hardworking Georgians in every corner of the state.”
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