What Was That Badge Herschel Walker Flashed in His Debate? - The New York Times

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Herschel Walker, the Republican campaigner successful Georgia’s pivotal Senate race, drew immoderate caput scratches — and a statement moderator’s rebuke — erstwhile helium brandished an honorary sheriff’s badge connected Friday portion debating his Democratic opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock.

In a infinitesimal that ricocheted online, Mr. Walker, a shot fable endorsed by erstwhile President Donald J. Trump, was responding to Mr. Warnock’s accusations that helium had misrepresented himself arsenic a instrumentality enforcement serviceman and had antecedently threatened to perpetrate acts of violence.

But Mr. Walker’s flaunting of the honorary badge, a designation not antithetic for celebrities to receive, brought caller scrutiny to his credentials and the loosely defined relationships that tin look betwixt instrumentality enforcement agencies and celebrated people.

The infinitesimal unfolded aft Mr. Warnock made claims astir Mr. Walker’s nonrecreational history, saying that Mr. Walker “has a occupation with the truth.”

“One happening I person not done — I’ve ne'er pretended to beryllium a constabulary officer, and I’ve ne'er threatened a shootout with police,” Mr. Warnock said, referencing controversies successful Mr. Walker’s past. At which point, Mr. Walker flashed the badge successful response, saying helium had “worked with galore constabulary officers.”

The badge was fixed to him successful designation of assemblage work enactment helium had done with the Cobb County sheriff’s department, according to his run spokesman, Will Kiley. Mr. Walker besides has an honorary badge from the sheriff section successful Johnson County successful East Georgia, which includes his hometown, Wrightsville. Representatives for the sheriff’s departments successful some counties were unavailable for comment.

One of the statement moderators, the WSAV anchor Tina Tyus-Shaw, admonished Mr. Walker aft helium brandished the badge and asked him to enactment it away. She said that helium was “well aware” of the debate’s rules against utilizing props onstage.

“It’s not a prop,” Mr. Walker countered. “This is real.” However, the badge helium presented connected the statement signifier was not an authentic badge that trained sheriffs carry, but an honorary badge often fixed to celebrities successful sports oregon entertainment. (It seems apt that Mr. Walker and the moderator attached antithetic meanings to the thought of a prop. She was seemingly saying that items utilized for demonstrations were not allowed; she was not referring to the validity of the badge.)

It is not uncommon for athletes to beryllium recognized by instrumentality enforcement. In 2021, Cobb County named the Atlanta Hawks fable Dominique Wilkins a peculiar deputy.

When Mr. Wilkins was sworn in, a sheriff’s spokeswoman noted to The Cobb County Courier that Mr. Wilkins did not person the aforesaid authorization arsenic a regular lawman sheriff to transportation a limb and apprehension people. She characterized his relation arsenic being a liaison and partner.

In 2021, the sheriff’s bureau successful Henry County, Ga., which is astir 30 miles southeast of Atlanta, gave a subordinate of the N.B.A. Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, the rubric of manager for assemblage relations.

Neil Warren, who was the Cobb County sheriff erstwhile helium named Mr. Walker an honorary lawman sheriff, endorsed his Senate bid successful July.

In a statement astatine the time, Mr. Warren said that Mr. Walker “partnered with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office for implicit 15 years” and “led trainings connected leadership, advocated for intelligence health, encouraged countless officers, and was ever determination to lend a manus whenever we needed him.”

But galore others explicit important skepticism astir the benignant of honorary designation granted by instrumentality enforcement.

“Georgia sheriffs were earnestly handing retired those badges similar candy successful a candy dish,” J.Tom Morgan, a erstwhile territory lawyer successful DeKalb County, Ga., who was elected arsenic a Democrat, said successful an interrogation connected Saturday. “That badge gives you nary instrumentality enforcement authority. He doesn’t person the powerfulness to constitute a postulation ticket.”

Mr. Morgan, who is present a prof astatine Western Carolina University, said the badges became truthful wide abused that the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association curtailed the signifier of giving them out.

“What would hap is idiosyncratic would get stopped for speeding, and they would whip retired 1 of those badges,” helium said. “And determination were radical charged with impersonating a constabulary officer.”

J. Terry Norris, the enforcement manager of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, said successful an email connected Saturday that honorary credentials are not regulated by authorities instrumentality and offered astatine the pleasance of the instrumentality enforcement officials.

“There is nary apprehension authorization associated with honorary credentials,” Mr. Norris said.

Mr. Walker has exaggerated his enactment successful instrumentality enforcement before. In 2019, helium told soldiers astatine Joint Base Lewis-McChord successful Washington State that helium was a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, which was false. He has besides repeatedly said successful run stump speeches that helium worked arsenic a subordinate of instrumentality enforcement, but helium did not.

In Georgia, the relation of sheriff is an elected partisan office, and determination tin beryllium rewards for some the donors and recipients of honorary badges.

According to the National Sheriffs’ Association, determination are nary ceremonial guidelines stipulating the usage and quality of honorary badges — and what distinguishes them from existent ones.

“It should beryllium understood that an honorary badge is for the trophy case,” Pat Royal, a spokesperson for the National Sheriffs’ Association, said successful an email connected Saturday. Mr. Royal specified that helium was referring to honorary badges successful general, not Mr. Walker’s.

Mr. Walker’s show during the statement yielded a flurry of memes and wide derision online.

“In fairness to Herschel Walker,” George Takei, the histrion known for his relation connected “Star Trek,” tweeted connected Friday night, “I sometimes propulsion retired my Star Fleet badge to get past information astatine Star Trek conferences.”

Erick Erickson, a blimpish commentator, defended Mr. Walker.

“He was made an honorary lawman sheriff successful Cobb County, Georgia, and spent 15 years helping that section and discussing with deputies however to grip intelligence wellness situations,” Mr. Erickson said connected Friday nighttime connected Twitter. “But I cognize facts don’t substance connected Twitter.”

The representation of Mr. Walker waving his badge during the statement called to caput different personage with a penchant for badges: Elvis Presley. During a meeting successful 1970 with President Richard M. Nixon, the King famously asked for a national narcotics bureau badge. Mr. Presley’s widow, Priscilla Presley, discussed the badge’s allure successful her memoir, “Elvis and Me.”

“The narc badge represented immoderate benignant of eventual powerfulness to him,” Ms. Presley wrote.