According to the Savannah Morning News, Georgia Republican Senatorial candidate Herschel Walker is already trying to downplay expectations about his performance in his upcoming debate with Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock on October 14.
Walker, a former college football star for the University of Georgia turned NFL player who moved back to Georgia from Texas to mount his campaign, made the remarks while touring the Port of Savannah last week.
"The highly anticipated debate is less than a month away, but Walker downplayed himself when asked what he is doing to prepare for the showdown against Warnock," reported Latrice Williams. "'I am getting out talking to people and talking to you (referring to the media),' said Walker. 'I'm a country boy. I'm not that smart. He's a preacher. (Warnock) is smart and wears these nice suits. So, he is going to show up and embarrass me at the debate Oct. 14th, and I'm just waiting to show up and I will do my best.'"
Walker was the hand-picked candidate of former President Donald Trump, who has tended to gravitate toward endorsing unconventional candidates in key Senate races including celebrity TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and venture capitalist Blake Masters in Arizona. Polls show a tight race in the Georgia contest, with Warnock, first elected in a 2020 runoff, just barely leading the FiveThirtyEight average.
IN OTHER NEWS: Let's just all acknowledge that cruelty and death is the GOP brand
Throughout the campaign, Walker has come under scrutiny for bizarre statements. In March, he questioned the validity of evolutionary science by asking "why are there still apes?" After the Uvalde, Texas school shooting in May, he proposed America combat gun violence with "a department that can look at young men that's looking at women that's looking at social media." In July, he criticized policies to fight climate change by saying, "Since we don't control the air, our good air decided to float over to China's bad air, so when China gets our good air, their bad air got to move. So it moves over to our good air space." In September, he suggested inflation is primarily a women's issue because "they've got to buy groceries."
Walker, who has openly discussed a lifelong struggle with mental illness, has also been accused of domestic violence, including pulling a gun on his ex-wife. Faced with questions, he has said that he put those conflicts behind him and is "glad" when his political opponents try to use them against him.
NOW WATCH:VP Harris calls out Abbott’s ‘dereliction of duty’ after migrants bussed to her doorstep