How Republicans Learned to Love Herschel Walker - The New York Times

• Oct. 14, 2022Updated 4:06 p.m. ET

Since Herschel Walker launched his bid for Senate past year, Georgia voters person learned astir his ex-wife’s allegations of home violence, his aggregate children calved retired of wedlock and, astir recently, assertions from a erstwhile woman that helium paid for 1 termination and urged her to extremity a 2nd pregnancy, portion claiming to reason abortion.

Mr. Walker, a erstwhile shot prima and first-time candidate, has denied the latest assertion and expressed daze astir what helium has formed arsenic a stunning partisan broadside. But immoderate Republicans adjacent to him were hardly surprised: They had been discussing the accomplishment of this infinitesimal with the campaigner for months.

Mr. Walker’s squad was braced to support him against accusations that helium threatened his ex-wife, a assertion that’s been nationalist for years. But immoderate advisers besides knew astir the circumstantial termination assertion made by the parent of 1 of Mr. Walker’s children, according to 2 radical acquainted with the conversations. Those who knew said they warned Mr. Walker to hole for the anticipation that those details would go fodder successful a governmental campaign, but Mr. Walker refused.

The contented mostly frustrated him, these radical said. Mr. Walker privately denied the abortion, but alternatively of discussing a strategy to grip the claim, helium maintained that the details would ne'er go public. At times helium would reason that if his ex-girlfriend’s relationship did leak out, it would not beryllium believed due to the fact that helium had a kid with the woman, according to the 2 people, who spoke connected information of anonymity.

The Walker run declined to comment.

Now, arsenic helium prepares connected Friday to statement his Democratic hostile for the archetypal time, the enactment is reckoning with the world of a governmental gamble Republicans successful Georgia and Washington made months ago. In the look of erstwhile President Donald J. Trump’s backing and Mr. Walker’s prima power, Republican leaders, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, the number leader, deemed absorption to Mr. Walker futile.

In a contention that could find power of the Senate, they chose short-term governmental expediency implicit confrontation with Mr. Trump oregon his chosen candidate.

The Georgia Senate contention serves arsenic an allegory of Trump-era Republicanism: Old-guard enactment leaders did not truthful overmuch pb their voters arsenic travel them; the evangelical helping was speedy to compromise; Mr. Trump rewrote the accepted rules; and personage substituted for experience.

“The astir rational-minded folks were wanting to pump the brakes connected what felt similar a runaway train,” said Geoff Duncan, the Republican lieutenant politician of Georgia, who was referring to Mr. Walker’s campaign. “Republicans were perfectly blessed winning the archetypal fractional of the shot game, successful the primary, and not paying immoderate attraction to the 2nd half, which is the general.”

Mr. Duncan, a Trump critic, said helium wouldn’t ballot for Senator Raphael Warnock, the Democratic incumbent but was not yet definite if helium would enactment Mr. Walker.

The contention remains a tossup; polls amusement Mr. Walker’s enactment dipping slightly, but successful a choky contention that could marque the difference. Party leaders person stood by him. He continues to evince the brash assurance of a prima athlete.

“They don’t recognize that they’ve woken a grizzly bear,” Mr. Walker told Fox News aboard his run autobus this week. “I’ve won astatine everything I’ve acceptable my caput to.”

The Republican has often mentioned his intelligence wellness issues — helium has been diagnosed with disassociative individuality disorder, helium said. He has not denied the home unit allegations and has suggested the upset is to blasted for erstwhile outbursts and erratic behavior. He describes himself arsenic a once-troubled antheral “saved by grace.” Democrats person said Mr. Walker has “a signifier of lying” and is not qualified to serve. The contention could crook connected which mentation of Mr. Walker voters believe.

“There are ever risks with first-time candidates,” said David Shafer, the president of the Georgia Republican Party. “But imaginable reward ne'er comes without risk.”

A Personal Connection

From the beginning, Mr. Trump wanted Mr. Walker successful the race. Mr. Walker’s leader presumption successful Georgia, wherever helium won the Heisman Trophy and a nationalist title for the University of Georgia, made him conscionable the benignant of personage campaigner Mr. Trump likes to promote. As a Black Republican, helium was a measurement toward diversifying the overwhelmingly achromatic party.

But the gully was hardly conscionable political. The 2 men person known each different for decades, and — conscionable arsenic he’s done for White House jobs and different governmental endorsements — Mr. Trump fto his idiosyncratic transportation override immoderate inheritance checks and different probe typically progressive successful specified high-profile occupation searches.

Mr. Walker became thing of a surrogate uncle to Mr. Trump’s children, who often spent stretches of their summers with him. Eric Trump, and his brother, Donald Trump Jr. — whom Mr. Walker occasionally calls “Little Donald” — person spoken warmly to associates astir trips with Mr. Walker to Disney World.

When Mr. Walker talks astir his transportation to Mr. Trump helium emphasizes their friendship. “He’s eaten astatine my home,” Mr. Walker said successful a May interrogation with Revolt.TV. “I’ve eaten astatine his home. My household has eaten astatine his home.”

Mr. Trump was adjacent much effusive erstwhile Mr. Walker appeared arsenic a contestant connected Mr. Trump’s world tv program. “I americium not a cheery antheral — and I emotion you,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Walker erstwhile booting him disconnected the Celebrity Apprentice.

‘The World Is Changing’

As helium was preparing to denote his run past year, Mr. Walker bristled erstwhile friends and advisers tried to inquire astir his past, refusing adjacent successful backstage to instrumentality work for his actions, according to Republicans who person been adjacent to Mr. Walker. He grew frustrated with nonstop questions and raised doubts astir the loyalty of his ain team. One Republican strategist whom Mr. Walker spoke with past twelvemonth said that Mr. Walker kept repeating however casual the contention was going to be.

Christian Walker, Mr. Walker’s son, says helium knew his father’s past would beryllium hard for the household and counseled him not to run, though helium did not cognize astir the termination issue.

“I perfectly tried my champion to effort to get him prepared,” Christian Walker said successful an email to The Times. “The champion mode guardant was honesty. That intelligibly didn’t happen.”

(Mr. Walker has repeatedly said that helium loves Christian, though helium appears to person grown frustrated arsenic Democrats prehend connected his son’s nationalist criticism. “I anticipation they’re paying him,” Mr. Walker said this week, “because I’ve been paying his rent for a agelong time.”)

Mr. Walker had crushed to beryllium optimistic astir his bid. Internal polling showed that helium enjoyed an support standing of higher than 90 percent among Georgia Republicans. The operation of his section prima powerfulness and vocal enactment of Mr. Trump made him virtually untouchable successful a Republican primary.

“If your sanction is Herschel Walker, and you’re a pro-life conservative, with his sanction ID, personage and awesome fund-raising ability, the superior was implicit the time helium entered the race,” Ralph Reed, president of the Faith & Freedom Coalition and a erstwhile authorities enactment president of the Georgia Republican Party, said.

Mr. Trump, too, was unconcerned with Mr. Walker’s past. “Twenty years agone would’ve been a bigger problem. I don’t deliberation it’s a occupation today,” helium said successful September 2021, according to “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America” by Maggie Haberman, a Times reporter.

Asked to explain, the erstwhile president — who was recorded bragging astir groping women, accused of intersexual battle and doubly impeached — said: “Because the satellite is changing.”

A Fleeting Resistance

Mr. McConnell, the 2nd astir almighty antheral successful Republican politics, had different ideas astir who should run.

From the infinitesimal 2 runoff losses successful Georgia outgo Republicans their Senate bulk successful January 2021, the authorities was astatine the halfway of Mr. McConnell’s program to wrest backmost power successful 2022. Even earlier Senator David Perdue of Georgia had publically conceded defeat, Mr. McConnell, the Senate Republican Leader, asked him to see moving again this year, according to a idiosyncratic briefed connected the conversation.

But Mr. Perdue didn’t entertain the thought for long. In February, helium flew to Florida for a sojourn and a circular of play with Mr. Trump. Within days, Mr. Perdue announced helium would not beryllium moving and soon aft Mr. Trump publically urged successful a statement, “Run Herschel, run!”

Mr. McConnell did not instrumentality nary for an answer.

Over the summer, quality stories began to uncover caller details astir accusations that Mr. Walker repeatedly threatened his ex-wife’s life, exaggerated claims of fiscal occurrence and alarmed concern associates with unpredictable behavior. (Notably, Mr. McConnell’s longtime governmental adviser, Josh Holmes, shared connected Twitter 1 Associated Press article, calling it “about arsenic broad a takedown arsenic I’ve ever read. My lord.”)

Days earlier, Mr. McConnell met with Mr. Perdue astatine the Capitol, checking if the erstwhile senator’s determination not to tally was inactive successful effect. It was. Mr. Walker officially entered the contention successful August, and the 2 men were soon speaking frequently. Mr. McConnell grew much comfy arsenic Mr. Walker was solicitous of his advice, according to 2 radical briefed connected the calls. Within 2 months, helium had formally endorsed Mr. Walker.

In embracing Mr. Walker, Mr. McConnell accepted a campaigner who, from the start, was definite to marque the contention astir the Republican nominee alternatively of the Democratic 1 — anathema to his preferred strategy. By the outpouring of 2022, Mr. McConnell was publically defending Mr. Walker’s tumultuous past.

“Almost each campaigner has had troubled periods,” Mr. McConnell said successful an April interview with Axios, erstwhile asked astir his ex-wife’s allegations of violence. He chopped disconnected further questions: “I deliberation Walker is wholly electable.”

Others inactive disagreed. Georgia’s straight-talking agriculture commissioner, Gary Black, got into the superior contention a fewer months earlier Mr. Walker. As momentum for his hostile grew, Mr. Black insisted his enactment was astir to cede the advantage.

Mr. Walker, helium argued, was a governmental novice with a turbulent past who wouldn’t beryllium capable to marque the contention astir the Democrats.

“If Herschel Walker is the nominee,” Mr. Black warned successful an interrogation days earlier the primary, “this contention volition beryllium astir Herschel Walker.”

Mr. Black’s squad made its lawsuit to National Republican Senatorial Committee officials successful the autumn of 2021, showing a video of Mr. Walker’s ex-wife speaking astir the clip helium held a weapon to her temple and threatened to shoot. Party officials made them crook it off; the gathering was expected to beryllium astir wide predetermination strategy, 1 authoritative said.

The aforesaid clip has been aired repeatedly by Democrats.

Lisa Lerer and Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting.