Herschel Walker doubles down on 'prop' badge in campaign video with sheriff - The Washington Post

“This is my sheriff, Sheriff Rowland,” Walker says successful the video, putting his limb astir Rowland.

“Yes," Rowland replies, portion besides holding up his ain similar-looking badge. “If Herschel’s badge is simply a prop, past I conjecture this badge I deterioration each time to support the citizens — I conjecture it’s a prop also. But these are existent badges. And I gave this to my person for each he’s done for this state and this county.”

“And fto maine archer you I’m gonna always, ever basal down our men and women successful blue, truthful God bless,” Walker concludes.

During Friday’s debate, Warnock said that Walker had “pretended to beryllium a constabulary officer,” a notation to claims by Walker astir moving with the FBI and a section constabulary department. Rather than verbally responding, Walker pulled retired the badge — which seemingly is honorary successful quality — drafting a rebuke from a moderator for utilizing a prop, which was not allowed nether statement rules.

“I americium — enactment with galore constabulary officers,” Walker said onstage.

The incidental triggered a torrent of memes, ridicule and renewed scrutiny implicit Walker’s past claims. “The Daily Show” big Trevor Noah joked connected Monday that Georgia voters could conscionable springiness Walker a certificate that says “honorary senator” alternatively of really electing him to the Senate.

“He won’t cognize the difference!” Noah declared.

In an interrogation with NBC News, which was conducted implicit the play and aired Monday, Walker defended the badge arsenic “legit.”

“This is from my hometown. This is from Johnson County, from the sheriff from Johnson County, which is simply a legit badge,” Walker said. “Everyone tin marque fun, but this badge gives maine the close … if thing happened successful this county, I person the close to enactment with the constabulary successful getting things done.”

“I ne'er embellish,” Walker added. “I’ve ne'er done it. I enactment successful instrumentality enforcement.”

Walker’s past claims astir moving successful instrumentality enforcement — including that helium was an FBI cause — person already been examined intimately and recovered to beryllium untrue. According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reappraisal of dozens of Walker’s past speeches, Walker has astatine assorted points claimed to enactment with the Cobb County Police Department, told constabulary successful Texas that helium was “a certified bid officer,” and said helium has “been successful transgression justness each my life.”

A spokesperson for the Cobb County Police Department told the Atlanta paper then, and later confirmed to The Washington Post, that it has nary grounds of moving with Walker. A run spokeswoman said astatine the clip that Walker had led “women’s self-defense training, participating successful the FBI Academy astatine Quantico” and besides held the rubric of “honorary deputy” successful Cobb County.

The rubric of “honorary deputy” holds nary powerfulness astatine each and is seen arsenic a “political token” for radical supportive of the sheriff who mightiness privation to get retired of a postulation ticket, erstwhile DeKalb County territory lawyer J. Tom Morgan (D) told The Post successful June.

“It perfectly means nothing,” helium said. “It’s the equivalent of a inferior ranger badge.”

The constabulary badge incidental did concisely instrumentality immoderate of the spotlight disconnected Walker’s different controversies, namely reports that helium paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion and later offered to wage for her to person a 2nd one. Walker, who has campaigned against termination rights nether immoderate circumstances, has denied those reports. In the NBC interview, helium acknowledged giving a $700 cheque to his then-partner successful 2009 but continued to contradict the woman’s assertion that the wealth was provided to wage for an abortion.

On Monday, talking to reporters arsenic helium voted aboriginal successful the contention successful Atlanta, Warnock cited the occurrence with the badge and respective different examples of Walker embellishing his past that person been documented successful quality stories.

“He … claimed to beryllium a constabulary officer. He’s not,” Warnock said. “Claimed to enactment for the FBI, intelligibly did not. Claimed to beryllium a assemblage graduate, he’s not. Claimed to beryllium a valedictorian of his class, helium was not. Claimed to person 800 employees successful his business, helium has eight. Claimed to person started a concern that does not adjacent exist. So I conjecture helium expects the radical of Georgia present to hallucinate and ideate that helium is besides a United States senator. He’s intelligibly not ready.”

“The radical of Georgia merit a superior idiosyncratic to correspond them astatine superior times,” Warnock said. “I’m committed to doing that work. I’ve been precise transparent astir my life.”

Timothy Bella contributed to this report.