But when Walker was challenged for his graduation scam in an interview last week with FOX 5 Atlanta presenter Russ Spencer, Walker stated that he had never said he would graduate from the University of Georgia.
Spencer told Walker that he has a “phenomenal life story,” but that “in some cases you exaggerated that story. You said you graduated from UGA …”
Walker interjected, “I never said that. They say it. And I said – that’s what you have to remember. I never, ever said that statement. Not once. I said I studied criminal justice at the UGA.”
Facts First: Walker’s claim that he “never” and “never” said he graduated from the University of Georgia is completely false. Walker told the camera at least twice that he graduated from high school. Walker’s promotional materials have also presented the false claim that he graduated.
When CNN asked for comments Tuesday, Walker’s campaign did not explain or correct his false claim that he had never said he had earned a college degree. Instead, spokeswoman Mallory Blount said in an email: “Imagine a world where the media cares so much about resolving inflation, gasoline prices and the shortage of baby formulas as it does about litigation again. every word Herschel has ever said. “
In December, Walker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had returned to Athens, Georgia, to complete his career after playing for the New Jersey Generals in the defunct United States Football League in the 1980s. life and football came into play. the way. “
But contrary to Walker’s claim last week in an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta, he wasn’t always outspoken about it. CNN’s KFile team found several cases in which Walker and his promotional materials inaccurately stated that he had earned the title:
Walker in a 2017 motivational speech: “And all of a sudden I started going to the library, looking for books, standing in front of a mirror reading to myself. So Herschel, that all kids said “He was a graduate of his class. He graduated from the University of Georgia in the top 1% of his class.” Walker in a 2017 radio interview: “And people say, ‘Herschel, you played football.’ But I said, “Guys, I was also the winner of my class. I was also in the top 1% of my college graduation class.” The defunct website HerschelWalker.net promotes the book: “After his first professional season, he completed his bachelor of science degree in criminal justice at the University of Georgia.”
And a 1986 Dallas Morning News article about Walker’s football career stated that Walker had finished his career in criminal justice and included this quote from Walker: “Getting a degree is one of the ways you can go about becoming a “Of course, my life isn’t going in that direction right now, but I think police work, especially the FBI, would be my choice if I weren’t a professional football player.”
Walker also refused to correct several people, including interviewers and a congressman who introduced him at a 2021 House subcommittee hearing, who erroneously said in his presence that he had earned his college degree. neither.
It’s not the only misleading statement in the interview
Walker’s false denial of his claims about graduating from college was not the only misleading moment in his interview last week with FOX 5 Atlanta.
Walker also responded to Spencer’s precise statement that former President Donald Trump, who has backed Walker’s candidacy, called the 2020 election “stolen.”
Walker said, “Well, I don’t think – I think – I think journalists say that. I don’t know if President Trump said that. Because he never told me that.” When Spencer correctly said that Trump has said it “over and over again,” Walker said, “No, no, no, no. He never, ever heard President Trump say that.”
Trump has called the 2020 election “stolen” on numerous occasions, and has used almost identical language in Walker’s presence. At a March rally in Georgia, which was attended by Walker, Trump falsely told Democrat Stacey Abrams, the current and former presidential candidate. Brian Kemp. And at a September rally in Georgia, which Walker also attended, Trump falsely said that 2020 was “the most corrupt election in our country’s history” and a “manipulated election,” and spoke of tens of thousands. of people who supposedly had their votes. “Stolen.” The Republican Accountability Project, a conservative group that has been critical of Trump and Walker, drew attention to this statement by Walker in a tweet on Tuesday.
Walker easily won Tuesday’s Republican primary for the nomination. He now faces incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in the November legislatures.
Me Steck contributed to this article.