Herschel Walker will debate Raphael Warnick ‘for the fans’ — but hasn’t agreed to do it

Georgia senate candidate and former football star Herschel Walker will debate Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock — or so he says.

The incumbent has pressured his challenger to engage him in a debate to little avail, until Wednesday, when Walker appeared on Fox News to say that under the right rules, he’s game.

Herschel Walker, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Georgia, speaks to supporters at the Northeast Georgia Livestock Barn in Athens, Ga., on Wednesday. (Joshua L. Jones/)

“I’ve told him many times, I’m ready to debate him anytime, any day,” the former University of Georgia running back said. “I just want to make it for the fans, not about a political party or about some media and all he doing is talking.”

As Fox News host Brian Kilmeade pointed out, Walker ran away with his state’s GOP primary without participating in any debates. Polling indicates Walker and Warnock are in a tight race, with the Democrat holding a slim lead, according to A Real Clear Politics aggregate.

On Monday, Warnock taunted Walker on Twitter.

“If Herschel Walker is so ready to debate, why hasn’t he agreed to any?” Warnock asked.

The 53-year-old pastor followed up on Wednesday tweeting “My dad taught me half of life is showing up.”

Walker tweeted a photo of Wednesday’s interview with Kilmeade, the softball-tossing interviewer he referred to as a “friend.” The 60-year-old aspiring politician, throughout the interview, challenged Warnock to defend the record of a fellow Democrat, President Biden.

Fox News celebrates a quarter-century of ... whatever it is they’re doing over there

Walker’s campaign appearances have largely taken place in controlled environments sure to be free of challenging questions. While his sit-down with Fox News in a Gainesville, Ga., diner fit the bill, it was nationally televised, which allowed social media users like progressive pundit Ron Filipkowski to share footage that was soundly mocked online. Many of his Twitter followers noted that Walker’s morning show appearance, where he called voters “fans,” further called into question his connection with reality.

Walker throughout his campaign has made a series of bizarre and unsubstantiated comments including claims he worked in law enforcement, was a member of the FBI and graduated college near the top of his class, when in fact, he dropped out after his junior year.

Walker also claims he had never heard his friend Donald Trump claim the 2020 election was somehow stolen from him. Trump, who supports Walker’s candidacy, continues to repeat that lie on a regular basis.