Rick Scott, Tom Cotton to campaign for Herschel Walker amid abortion controversy: report

Merdie Nzanga, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rick Scott of Florida will travel to Georgia to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker on Tuesday, according to reports.

"I'm on Herschel's team — they picked the wrong Georgian to mess with. I'm proud to stand with Herschel Walker and make sure Georgians know that he will always fight to protect them from the forces trying to destroy Georgia's values," Scott said in a statement to the Washington Post, which was first to report the news. He confirmed the visit to CNN and NBC News, as well.

Cotton confirmed his campaign stop on Twitter, saying he is "excited to head to Georgia to campaign for Herschel Walker."

Cotton and Scott's visit comes after Daily Beast first reported last week that Walker paid for the mother of one of his children to have an abortion in 2009, which Walker denied, calling the accusation a "flat out lie." The New York Times reported that Walker asked the woman for a second abortion, which she refused.

Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, takes questions from the media after a campaign event in Athens, Georgia.
Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat, takes questions from the media after a campaign event in Athens, Georgia.

Republicans such as Scott, the National Republican Committee chair, have come to Walker's defense. Former President Donald Trump called the accusations a "distraction" by Democrats and the media.

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Herschel Walker: Report: Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker pressed woman to have second abortion

Walker's opponents have called him out for hypocrisy, given that he strongly opposes access to abortion and supports a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks without exceptions for rape and incest.

The Georgia U.S. Senate race is closely watched because it could determine which party controls the evenly divided chamber.

Walker will debate his opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock, on Friday. Warnock is up for reelection in a state that President Joe Biden won in 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rick Scott, Tom Cotton will stump for Herschel Walker in Georgia