What to Know As Herschel Walker Officially Files for #GASEN, Refuses to Debate Republicans

Today, Herschel Walker officially filed his paperwork to run for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat, but the Trump-tapped candidate continues to come under fire from all sides as Republicans sound off on his lackluster campaign, he refuses to debate his Republican rivals, “questions about [his] background are piling up,” new reports emerge across the state about his shady business practices, and Walker takes heat for dodging press, GOP rivals, and Georgians alike — instead “only participa[ting] in closely controlled campaign events, including some that require tickets, forbid video recording and restrict media access.” 

“Georgians are learning about the real Herschel Walker — a politician who mocks their needs, avoids their questions, spreads dangerous misinformation, lies about his record, and does anything to help himself,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia.

Here’s what to know about Walker’s campaign:

• Right after qualifying to run, Walker still won’t commit to debating Republican rivals. Immediately after making his Senate run official, Walker “would not commit to debating his GOP primary opponents” — claiming he won’t be “playing games” by debating the other Republican candidates.

• Walker continues causing “anxiety among rank-and-file Republicans” as GOP faithful across the state rip into his closed-door, “very limited, carefully curated” campaign: 

• As Walker continues his closed-door campaign, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Patricia Murphy notes that she is hearing “anxiety among rank-and-file Republicans” that they “do not know what they’re getting with Herschel Walker” and that “none of those questions have really been answered.”

• Conservative commentator Martha Zoller notes that “the more [Walker] talks, the more his numbers go down.” Zoller went on to advise Walker to do “as little as possible” when it comes to speaking with Georgians.

• Conservative radio host John Fredricks hit Walker for his refusal to answer questions or debate his opponents, saying he doesn’t “think [Walker] will be ready for primetime” and that Walker is “setting himself up” for “monumental disaster in the fall.”

• 2020 Senate candidate and former Rep. Doug Collins questioned Walker’s campaign’s strategy of “keeping him limited” and doubts Walker is “ready” to “handle the press.” 

• Conservative radio host Erick Erickson noted “Herschel Walker has a lot of baggage that’s starting to come out” that could “alienate independent voters.”

• Conservative radio host Beth Beskin challenged Walker to “come out of his hidey hole” and start answering for comments that have “raised a lot of Republican eyebrows.” Beskin went on to rip Walker’s substanceless campaign, lamenting that she has “not heard him say anything substantive anywhere” or take “actual questions that were not pre-vetted” — calling his campaign strategy a “disservice to Republican voters.”

• “Hit after hit”: Stories about Walker’s shady business record and questionable past are piling up:
  
  • A report from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer revealed that Walker has refused to pay more than $600,000 in unpaid loans he personally guaranteed — the latest in a pattern of shady business practices in his background.

• WSAV in Savannah reported that local leaders and business owners are calling out Walker over “new reports that revealed the Trump tapped candidate has failed to repay $625,000 in loans,” and his criticism of the PPP loan program while “his own business received $10 million in that effort” — showing Walker “thinks he is above personal responsibility and financial accountability.” 

• 11Alive in Atlanta reports that Walker mocked the Paycheck Protection Program while sitting on the board of a company that took millions in PPP, then laid off 90% of its workers the next day.

• Ahead of an April 9th GOP Senate debate, Republican rivals are lashing out at Walker for dodging Georgia voters and warning that Walker can’t handle a general election if he “can’t even debate Republicans”:

• Gary Black slammed Walker over his failure to answer simple questions on the campaign trail, calling Walker a “wind-up toy” with no direction as a candidate. Black has continued “slam[ming] [Walker] for months with accusations that he’s trying to avoid hard questions,” going after the Trump-tapped candidate for dodging his “in-person job interview” with voters and noting that Georgians “need a senator who puts a team together — not a staff who puts a senator together.”

• Kelvin King said it was a “travesty” that Walker would not debate fellow Republicans, warned that Walker will be “demolished” and “embarrassed” for his lack of policy and presence in Georgia. “It’s remarkable to think that someone could ask for the vote and the confidence of the people of Georgia, but doesn’t show or prove to them, to the people of Georgia that they’re willing to work hard.”

• Latham Saddler called Walker’s “no-show” Senate campaign an “unmitigated disaster” for Republicans. Latham Saddler went after Walker’s record of no-showing debates and local GOP events, questioning how Walker could hold his own in a general election when he “can’t even debate Republicans.”
  

Meanwhile, Walker’s rivals are telling reporters and voters alike that Republicans are about to “forfeit control of the United States Senate” if he is the GOP nominee.