Fact-checking Walker, Warnock ahead of U.S. Senate runoff
When U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker deliver remarks at campaign events, they tend to hit on the same topics time after time. And sometimes, they make claims that are misleading or deserve additional context.
To that end, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recorded one of each of their recent speeches to dig further into some of the points they raised. Walker was recorded during a campaign rally in Smyrna with Gov. Brian Kemp on Nov. 19. Warnock’s recording comes from the remarks he delivered in Fayetteville on Nov. 22.
Clicking on one of the buttons below will skip the recording ahead to the portion of the speech where AJC fact-checked a statement.
Images from AJC file photos
1992 Olympics
Walker was a member of the U.S. Olympics bobsled team for the 1992 games, where his speed and strength was considered an asset. He finished seventh in the two-man competition and, although he was initially slated to participate in the four-man race, he was replaced before competition began.
RELATED: Read the full transcript of Herschel Walker’s speech in Smyrna on Nov. 19.
Warnock and Columbia Tower
Walker and conservative groups have highlighted issues at Columbia Towers, an apartment complex for low-income residents owned by a for-profit entity with ties to Warnock and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Day-to-day operations are managed by Columbia Residential. There is no evidence that crime or code violations are above average for a facility of that size. No evictions have taken place at the building for failure to pay rent since June 2020, a building spokesperson told the AJC.
An apartment building takes center stage in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race
Warnock sermon on 'whiteness'
A sermon Warnock delivered in October 2016 titled "How Towers Tumble," has been taken out of context over the years, according to a USA Today fact check. Warnock’s words are critical of those who supported then-candidate Donald Trump despite his controversies. “No matter what happens next month, the more than a third of the nation that would go along with this is reason to be afraid. America needs to repent for its worship of whiteness on full display this season,” he said.
Fact check: Rev. Warnock sermon on 'whiteness' condemns racism, does not call for anti-white bigotry
Warnock on policing
Not only has Warnock never advocated for defunding the police, he has introduced legislation to increase dollars flowing to police departments. His comments criticizing law enforcement officers appear to have been taken out of context from a 2015 sermon. Warnock’s campaign told CNN that the comments were referring specifically to the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the previous year. Warnock said in his sermon that some of the officers had been "showing up in a kind of gangster and thug mentality."
CNN fact check: Did Warnock call police officers 'gangsters and thugs'?
Warnock on Biden
During a debate in Savannah in October, Warnock avoided answering the moderators’ question about whether he would support Joe Biden if he ran for re-election in 2024 and He has also declined to answer similar questions subsequently. A common refrain from Warnock is that he hasn’t thought about it.
RELATED: Video highlights: Warnock, Walker Georgia Senate debate in Savannah
Warnock on trans athletes
With Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate, Republicans have been unsuccessful in bringing to a vote legislation that would cut off federal funds for programs that allow transgender girls to compete in women’s sports. While Warnock has defended rights for the LGBT+ community and has accused Walker of attacking transgender women in hopes of solidifying his base, there is no evidence he has ever been asked to cast a vote on specific legislation.
RELATED: Warnock: Walker ‘on a Georgia tour waging war against trans people’ – WABE
