Walker denies having previously supported a national abortion ban.

Walker denies having previously supported a national abortion ban.

Herschel Walker, the Republican Senate candidate, disputed his earlier support for a total nationwide ban on abortion in his lone debate against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday.

Walker, a passionate anti-abortion lawmaker who was recently accused by a former lover of pushing and paying for her abortion in 2009, accused Warnock of misrepresenting his views by claiming Walker backed a countrywide ban on abortion with no exceptions.

Walker claimed that his stance is the same as Georgia's state legislation, the so-called heartbeat bill, which prohibits abortion at six weeks, when many women are unaware they are pregnant.

Walker, on the other hand, has repeatedly said during the campaign that he favored a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions. "That's an issue," he remarked during a campaign visit in July, referring to the lack of a countrywide prohibition.

However, on the debate stage, Walker attempted to redirect the question to Warnock. Walker chastised Warnock for being a Baptist minister who advocates for abortion rights.

"I'm a Christian, yet I believe in abortion." I have faith in life. "I'll be a senator who defends life," Walker stated, later implying that Warnock is unconcerned with abortions in the Black community. Both males are African-American.

"Why aren't you baptizing those infants instead of aborting them?" Walker inquired.

Warnock emphasized that as a Christian and a clergyman, he can support abortion rights. "God gave us a choice, and I appreciate women's freedom to choose." "These are medical judgments, and they are highly personal," Warnock said, adding that Walker "wants to give politicians more authority than God has."

The debate in Georgia's most important Senate race took place only days before in-person early voting begins on Monday. The outcome will help determine which party controls the Senate for President Joe Biden's remaining two years in office.

Both men are being forced to respond to personal and political assaults that have inundated voters' television screens and social media feeds for months.

Warnock and fellow Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff were elected to the Senate in a special election in January 2021, two months after Biden won Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes out of 5 million ballots. That was the first time in two decades that Democrats won federal elections in the notoriously conservative state, prompting doubts about Warnock's ability to repeat his triumph in a midterm election, especially with Biden's popularity declining among Georgia voters.

Walker has capitalized on this environment, portraying Warnock as a rubber stamp for the administration. Warnock's response has been to highlight his legislative accomplishments in Washington, with a focus on provisions he sponsored capping insulin and other health-care costs for Medicare recipients, Democrats' extension of the child tax credit, and infrastructure provisions he shepherded with Republican colleagues.

The degree to which Warnock decides to personally attack Walker on different claims and disclosures that have come throughout the campaign is a crucial factor in the argument. Typically, the senator has relied on his broad allegation that Walker is unprepared for government. However, the debate moderators forced the men to disagree on everything from their economic views to their relationships with their children and families.

The Daily Beast has revealed documents of an abortion receipt and a subsequent personal check from Walker to a lady who claimed Walker paid for her abortion when they were dating. Walker has maintained his denial of the allegations, even when the lady identified herself as the mother of one of his four children.

Other reports, including one from The Associated Press, have detailed how Walker exaggerated his academic accomplishments, business success, and philanthropic activities, as well as allegations that he threatened the life of his ex-wife that go beyond what Walker admitted in a 2008 memoir and subsequent media interviews. Walker also officially recognized three of his children for the first time following earlier Daily Beast reports. Prior to his Senate run, he'd only talked publicly about Christian Walker, his adult son from his first marriage.

Walker, like many contenders facing incumbents, has been keen to go against Warnock directly even before the debate. Walker accuses Warnock of exploiting the Senate to enrich himself, using Warnock's Senate financial declarations. Following his Senate victory, Warnock disclosed money from a book agreement. He also disclosed a monthly living allowance of more than $7,000 from Ebenezer Baptist Church, an arrangement that allowed Warnock to continue collecting a significant annual payment from the church for his function as senior pastor without breaking federal ethics laws that limit senators' outside income.

Meanwhile, national Republicans have lately launched advertisements exposing Warnock's personal life. One advertisement mentions an event in March 2020 in which Warnock's then-wife, Oulèye Ndoye, informed police that he drove over her foot with his vehicle. According to police documents, authorities discovered no indication that Warnock done so. The couple split before Warnock's Senate race; they have two young children.

Walker has avoided attacks on Warnock's family life, however he campaigned with Sen. Rick Scott of Florida earlier this week, who leads the Senate GOP's campaign arm, which financed for some of the advertisements.

Walker refused to accept the three autumn debates that are customary in Georgia elections, therefore the Savannah debate was their sole encounter. Warnock agreed to the planned debate schedule in June, only to have Walker object and react with Friday's debate. The debate on Friday did not feature Libertarian Chase Oliver, who did not satisfy the polling level set by the organizers.

Only one of the original three debates remains on the calendar: Warnock will face Oliver in a Sunday session hosted by the Atlanta Press Club. Walker will be represented by an empty podium in the discussion because he refused the invitation.