Herschel Walker, a former football star who is running for the Republican nomination in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia, left critics scratching their heads after he claimed the Biden administration “decided that they were going to give up our energy."
Walker did not specify what he was talking about or offer any evidence to support his claim, instead pivoting to declare “there’s no food on the shelf," a claim that was derided by commentator Keith Reid, who joked he "definitely went to Whole Foods this weekend and grabbed some grapes and Chilean sea bass on sale."
You can hear what Walker said in the video below.
"They decided they were gonna give up all the energy. By him going out, giving up all the energy, now we're not energy independent anymore, which started the whole downfall" -- Herschel Walker's analysis of energy policy doesn't show a grasp of details or really anything at allpic.twitter.com/WR5GkqS8ma— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1649605655
In his interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Walker also took a shot at Democrat Raphael Warnock, the incumbent Senator who he is trying to unseat, when asked what has "changed" since Warnock took office.
Walker said:
"So what has changed is, 'Where do you start?' Where do you start at what has changed is... we got an administration that, they're not leaders. They're more reactive rather than proactive."
Walker went on to say that the Biden administration "started the whole downfall" because the United States is not "energy dependent anymore."
Claiming that the Biden administration has "blamed everyone else except themselves," he referred to the Michael Jackson song "The Man in the Mirror," saying that "you gotta look at yourself to know what's going on."
Walker further demonstratedhis lack of comprehension for energy policy with the following statements, which can only be described as word salad:
“This is one of the most environmental drilling countries in the world but yet we’re walking on all the resources we have underneath our feet and we won’t say, ‘Hey, guys, we gotta come out of this.”
"We cannot continue to do this and we need people in Washington that's going to be leaders and not people who is going to be followers or people that's going to be upset, having sour grapes and not going to do what's right for the people of Georgia and they're not going to do what's right for the United States where Herschel Walker will."
"I'm not afraid to do the dang fight for what I think is right. I'm a Christian. I tell people I'm a warrior of God."
"I'm going to get in there and do the right thing."
Walker's remarks were hard to follow, leaving many feeling confused.
A few suggested that Walker, who is currently leading in the polls, offered a striking example of just why he recently skipped the first major Republican U.S. Senate debate.
Can\u2019t for the life of me imagine why he skipped that first debate.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Jody Dean (@Jody Dean) 1649677525
This is... hard to follow.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Eric the editor \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf7b\u26bd\ufe0f (@Eric the editor \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf7b\u26bd\ufe0f) 1649726401
Tell me you\u2019re dumber than dirt without telling me you\u2019re dumber than dirt. @HerschelWalkerhttps://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Sir Rants-A-Lot \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Sir Rants-A-Lot \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649726804
As stupid as having X-mas decorations in April https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— C\u00f4t\u00e9 O'Neil (@C\u00f4t\u00e9 O'Neil) 1649672780
Herschel Walker throwing out all the MAGA buzzwords with absolutely no understanding of what he\u2019s saying, as it makes absolutely no sense, makes him the perfect MAGA candidate!\n\nAll words & no substance.\n\nWhat would a brain MRI show? A black hole!\n\n#DemVoice1 #BlueVoices #Freshhttps://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@The Jewish Ginger Resister) 1649685698
Put this @HerschelWalker word salad side by side with ANY statement by @ReverendWarnock!https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Yvonne Smith (@Yvonne Smith) 1649686800
This is @HerschelWalker speaking.\n\nThis is the man that is leading in the polls in #Georgia.\n\nThis man didn\u2019t even show up to debate.\n\nAfter seeing this you will understand WHY this man is hiding.\n\nThis man should NOT be in the US Senate.\n\n@SenatorWarnock is the man that should.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— yvette nicole brown (@yvette nicole brown) 1649698903
This makes no sense until you take in how aggressively anti-intellectual the modern Republican Party is. They deliberately lower the quality of their officeholders because they prefer them this way. Look at Blackburn, Tuberville, Johnson etc. Kennedy PLAYS dumb. It\u2019s a brand.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37 (@Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid \ud83d\ude37) 1649705586
Does anyone understand a word of this gibberish? Lemme know\n\nEnergy policy courtesy of the fake University of Georgia grad who also casts doubt on evolution in the year of our Lord 2022https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1513181908074704905\u00a0\u2026— Lindy Li (@Lindy Li) 1649725561
Walker's campaign has been dogged by controversy from the moment he declared his candidacy in August 2021.
That same month, news outlets reported that Walker's wife, Julie Blanchard, voted in Georgia's election in 2020 despite the fact they live in Texas. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the story, which noted that under most circumstances, it is illegal for non-residents to vote in Georgia.
According to election records, Blanchard listed her Atlanta address on her absentee ballot mailed in October 2020 from the couple's Westlake, Texas, home. However, Georgia state law makes clear that residency is based on where a voter's "habitation is fixed," and that those who move out of state lose their eligibility to vote there.
The couple received a homestead exemption on their property taxes after purchasing their Texas property in 2011; Blanchard did not claim a homestead exemption on her Fulton County, Georgia property in 2020.
Walker has also faced scrutiny regarding past violent behavior, including a 2005 death threat he leveled at his ex-wife and her boyfriend.
