Fresh off his NBC News interview where he tried to justify flashing a prop badge in last Fridayβs debate, Herschel Walker will now give all of his supporters one. Instead of dialing this back, Walkerβs campaign let NBC News know it has ordered 1,000 imitation plastic law enforcement badges that say βIβm with HerschelβΒ as a fundraising tool. The Georgia Republican candidate will also use it in a new video with Johnson County Sheriff Greg Rowland, who gave him the badge.
Walker hopes to hand these βpropβ badges out at a crime-themed event with law enforcement officers Thursday because thatβs what we need: more people pretending they are law enforcement.
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If you ask Walkerβs campaign strategist Gail Gitcho, this strategy is to show Walker is more pro-police. However, that doesnβt align with Walkerβs words throughout his campaign. He has said he has worked βinβ and βforβ law enforcement over the years and suggested he was an FBI agent. Just because youβve received an honorary badge doesnβt mean you automatically become an officer.
From NBC News:
βHerschel Walker has been a friend to law enforcement and has a record of honoring police,β said Gail Gitcho, the Walker campaign strategist who ordered the badges Saturday.
βIf Sen. Warnock wants to highlight this, then bring it on,β Gitcho added. βIt just gives us a chance to talk about Herschelβs support of law enforcement and law enforcementβs support for him. Itβs a great issue for us.β
Sen. Warnock hit back at Walkerβs dishonesty, something he also did during their only Senate debate last Friday.
βMy opponent, Herschel Walker, is not ready,β Warnock told reporters Monday. βI pointed out the fact that he claimed to be in law enforcement β to be a police officer β and that he threatened a shootout with the police. And his response was to produce a fake badge? The people of Georgia deserve a serious person to represent them in serious times.β
DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox is not too happy with Walkerβs antics either.
βIt was a disgrace, and it was disrespectful to those of us who actually wear the badge and wear it proudly and serve our communities,β she told NBC News. βThe problem with it is that itβs not a real badge. It does not have any power to it at all. Thereβs no arrest power. And my question is: If heβs flashing the badge now, then what else is he using the badge for? Where else is he flashing it?β
Sheriff Roland has said the badge is βhonoraryβ β with βHerschel Walkerβ written on it only to help out in his office with no arrest powers attached. So, basically this is either a money grab or a ploy to get votes.
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