Accused of Abuse, Herschel Walker Says His Adult Son Needs a Spanking

“I’ve got to get back to him and spank him.”

That was Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s response to public condemnation from his son, who alleged abuse at the hands of the former NFL running back amid reports that Walker had paid a former girlfriend to obtain an abortion.

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The comment — audio recording of which was obtained by Huffpost — was delivered Tuesday at a prayer luncheon. It came a day after The Daily Beast released an exclusive report alleging that in 2009 Walker had paid for a then girlfriends abortion, signed “get well” card and all. The woman was later revealed to be the mother of one of Walker’s children, despite the candidate denying the claims and claiming  did not know the woman making the allegations.

Christian Walker, the candidate’s 23-year-old son and a well known conservative influencer, publicly condemned his father on social media. “I’m done,” Christian wrote on Twitter Monday “Every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office, because we all knew (some of) his past. Every single one. He decided to give us the middle finger and air out all of his dirty laundry in public, while simultaneously lying about it.”

In a video follow up Tuesday, the same day his father told a crowd he needed a spanking, Christian hinted at allegations that Walker had abused him and his mother, Cindy DeAngelis Grossman.

The Trump endorsed candidate has spent the days since the Beast report on a media blitz denying the accusations and attempting to salvage a campaign that has been wrapped in scandal and gaffes virtually since its announcement. Earlier this year reports emerged that Walker had several more children than he had publicly admitted to.

Republicans have responded by circling the wagons around Walker, who has portrayed himself as staunchly anti-abortion, and revealing their willingness to set aside the “abortion is murder” moralizing that’s become their trademark in favor of political expediency.

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