Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker said Sunday that the police badge he flashed during a debate with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Friday is a “real badge” given to him by a policeman and that he carries it with him “all the time.”
Walker told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he had Georgia county badges.
“It’s from my hometown. It’s from Johnson County from Johnson County Sheriff’s, which is a legit badge,” Walker said, showing the badge to Welker. I have the right to work with the police to get things done.”
“People don’t know I’ve worked with law enforcement for years,” he added. “I do training programs…I do health and wellness programs. I visit prisons.
When asked if the badge supplemented him with powers of arrest, Walker admitted that it was an “honorary badge”.
“But they can call me anytime they want me and I have the power to do things for them,” the Senate candidate said.
During Friday’s debate, Walker stunned the audience when he displayed what looked like an incidental police badge after Warnock criticized him for “pretending to be a police officer” in the past.
The GOP candidate was scolded by the debate moderator, who reminded him that props weren’t allowed at the debate — but Walker insisted it was real.
Walker has repeatedly claimed that he trained as an FBI agent in Quantico, Virginia, and worked directly with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported in June that Walker had never been a certified officer or FBI agent and that Cobb County had no records supporting Walker’s claims.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook that Walker was named an honorary sheriff’s deputy for his “dedication to law enforcement and commitment to public safety.”
“Hershel is one of the best ambassadors for law enforcement in this country,” the statement said, adding that Sheriff Greg Rowland has endorsed Walker’s candidacy for the Senate.
Walker told NBC that “more sheriffs have backed Herschel Walker in Georgia than any candidate running today.”
The Hill contacted the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office about Walker’s remarks.
