Herschel Walker is often seen and seldom heard as Senate campaign gets rolling

Herschel Walker flashed his megawatt grin and shook hands with adoring Georgia Bulldog shot fans earlier the team’s caller location game, and past did what helium is astir celebrated for: helium ran similar hell.

The legendary moving backmost who won the 1982 Heisman Trophy is avoiding nationalist events and questions from the property assiduously, adjacent arsenic helium settles successful arsenic the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for US Senate successful Georgia.

On Saturday, Walker gave his archetypal nationalist code since announcing his run astatine Donald Trump’s rally successful Perry, successful cardinal Georgia. The code lasted little than 10 minutes, with Walker leaning heavy connected platitudes and nods to his biography.

“People ever inquire maine what qualifies maine to tally for this office,” Walker said. “And you cognize what qualified maine to run, is due to the fact that I emotion America, and I’m going to combat for America.”

In conversations with fractional a twelve Republican operatives, including immoderate associated with his campaign, there’s a statement connected the champion nationalist strategy. Walker does champion by laying low.

So far, the run is placing Walker successful tightly controlled events and limiting his interviews to affable outlets similar Fox News. Otherwise, Walker’s docket keeps him mostly down closed doors, including during his ongoing “listening tour” with concern and assemblage groups.

“He’s ne'er tally for bureau before, and erstwhile he’s retired and about, he’s going to person to commencement answering questions,” said Eric Tanenblatt, a seasoned Republican strategist successful Atlanta unaligned with immoderate of the Senate candidates. “Perhaps he’s being schooled close present and trained, and truthful he’s got the personage status, and truthful helium should thrust that.”

The fearfulness from immoderate Republicans is that Walker is not acceptable to reply hard questions astir his troubled idiosyncratic history, including allegations precocious uncovered by CNN Investigates and different quality outlets that the erstwhile shot prima threatened women with unit beyond what helium disclosed successful his memoir. When asked past by CNN astir caller allegations from a Texas woman, Walker’s run had declined to respond and a run spokeswoman cited Walker’s past struggles with intelligence wellness issues.

The aforesaid Georgia Republicans accidental determination are concerns Walker is unprepared to talk astir the issues arsenic helium is excessively intimately aligned with his friend, former President Trump.

The Walker run did not respond to a petition for remark for this story.

The bunker strategy is the brainchild of immoderate of the astir experienced advisers successful determination GOP authorities who person joined Walker’s campaign. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of neighboring South Carolina, has sent implicit a mates apical members of his campaign, including longtime advisor Scott Farmer, to assistance Walker’s squad get disconnected the ground.

Graham and Walker became friends pursuing Walker’s 2020 Republican National Convention speech. They spoke astatine the opening of this twelvemonth and talked astir the anticipation Walker would run.

“Herschel Walker is the champion idiosyncratic to transportation the shot for the Republican Party successful Georgia,” said Graham successful a connection to CNN. “He’s 1 of the astir good rounded radical to see moving for office, and helium would beryllium a transformative senator.”

But Walker has a hard occupation adjacent the champion consultants conflict to address. How bash you grip an untested governmental novice with a volatile idiosyncratic past successful a must-win seat?

Some Republicans accidental there’s small fearfulness Walker volition beryllium capable to grip himself good connected the run way erstwhile the clip comes.

“Even though he’s an outsider who has ne'er tally for office, a batch of the worldly Walker has done successful his beingness — from moving a concern to doing sports media interviews and giving speeches — has prepared him for this time,” said 1 elder GOP strategist.

But others accidental the lone enactment for Walker close present is to spell to ground.

“To the grade the campaigner volition fto you, fastener his ass successful a closet and rise money,” said 1 Georgia Republican strategist who requested anonymity to talk freely astir the starring Senate candidate. “You can’t fell forever, but you tin perfectly bounds his exposure.”

Others accidental there’s nary unreserved to get Walker successful beforehand of an assemblage earlier he’s acceptable — but that the GOP superior adjacent May looms.

“There’s plentifulness of time,” said Tanenblatt. “But however agelong tin Herschel proceed to run without doing galore nationalist events oregon answering questions?”

For now, the run is operating nether the presumption that Walker’s personage successful the authorities of Georgia positive the endorsement from Trump volition beryllium capable to transportation him done the GOP primary.

His lone important Republican opponents truthful acold are Gary Black, the authorities agriculture commissioner, and Latham Saddler, an chartless erstwhile Navy SEAL who has shown immoderate fundraising prowess. Republicans successful Georgia accidental the way for Black oregon Saddler to the information is constrictive and requires a important illness for Walker.

Candidates tin record for the Georgia superior arsenic precocious arsenic March 2022, which leaves plentifulness of clip for different high-profile Republicans specified arsenic erstwhile senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to leap into the contention if either spot an opportunity.

Even so, successfully taking connected Walker would necessitate an assistance from Washington Republicans that doesn’t look forthcoming. In a caller interrogation with Politico, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell seemed to soften his behind-the-scenes absorption to Walker’s candidacy.

“I deliberation there’s each denotation he’s going to beryllium a bully candidate,” McConnell told Politico.

But if the Republican information is Walker’s to lose, the wide predetermination is different story. The incumbent is Democrat Raphael Warnock, elected successful a runoff successful January to decorativeness retired the word of retired Republican Johnny Isakson. Warnock remains 1 of the much fashionable elected officials successful Georgia and has kept a comparatively debased illustration successful his archetypal 9 months successful the Senate.

Some person noted that nominating a Black Republican similar Walker offers the GOP the champion accidental to sound disconnected Warnock, who is besides Black. But Walker’s relation with Trump — the 2 person been friends for decades and Walker was a salient surrogate for the then-president successful 2020 — has galore GOP strategists worried.

“Everybody I speech to successful the Republican beingness who isn’t being paid by [Walker] is terrified,” said different GOP strategist successful Georgia, who requested anonymity to talk candidly astir backstage conversations.

That’s mostly due to the fact that Georgia has gone from coagulated reddish to purple successful caller years. The authorities voted for Joe Biden aft voting for the Republican nominee for six consecutive statesmanlike elections. Running Walker chiefly arsenic a Trump state against Warnock is simply a risky wager connected an different winnable contention for the GOP.

“He can’t conscionable beryllium the campaigner endorsed by Donald Trump. People request to cognize who Herschel Walker is arsenic an individual,” said Tanenblatt.

But astatine Saturday’s rally successful Perry, arsenic Trump began to wrapper up his lengthy remarks, helium asked Walker to travel backmost onstage 1 much time. With a fewer further words, the erstwhile president’s longtime person made wide helium is aligned with Trump.

“I privation to beryllium a large person similar him erstwhile I get to that Senate seat,” Walker said.