Sen. Raphael Warnock is betting that former President Donald Trump is so toxic in Georgia, the Democrat is running a new ad that simply repeats the ex-president’s endorsement of Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Mr. Trump went to bat for Mr. Walker, a former football star, on Tuesday night while announcing a 2024 presidential bid.
“We must all work very hard for a gentleman and a great person named Herschel Walker, a fabulous human being who loves our country and who will be a great United States senator,” Mr. Trump says in the 30-second ad. “He was an incredible athlete. He’ll be an even better senator.”
Some in the GOP wanted Mr. Trump to delay his campaign announcement, fearing it would have a deleterious impact on the Georgia Senate runoff in early December.
Mr. Trump lost Georgia to President Biden in 2020, and the GOP lost two Senate seats in January 2021 runoffs, leading to a Democratic majority.
The Warnock campaign clearly believes that Mr. Trump’s role in bolstering Mr. Walker will help Democrats repeat the feat this time around.
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Democrats are assured of the Senate majority in a 50-50 chamber if Mr. Walker wins, though they’d like to get breathing room in a 51-49 chamber through a Warnock victory.
The new Warnock ad reminds voters that the runoff takes place Dec. 6.
“Stop Donald Trump. Stop Herschel Walker,” the ad says after Mr. Trump’s comments.