Stop 'playing games.' Warnock accepts Walker's call for U.S. Senate debate in Savannah
Sen. Raphael Warnock's campaign has provided a counteroffer to his opponent Herschel Walker in the ongoing U.S. Senate race debate drama.
In June, Warnock accepted invitations to three debates at the Atlanta Press Club and the Mercer University Center for Collaborative Journalism in Macon, as well as one in Savannah hosted by WTOC. In August, Walker, who has not accepted any of these debates, proposed a fourth debate also in Savannah, but hosted by WSAV.
Now Warnock has said he will attend the WSAV debate on two conditions — that neither candidate receive the topics for the debate ahead of time, and that Walker accept either the Atlanta Press Club or Mercer University debate as well.
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On Aug. 10, the Daily Beast reported that the WSAV was the only debate that would provide the topics ahead of time to candidates. Walker said he wanted to do the WSAV debate in part because it would include a live audience, something the Warnock campaign has said they have no objection to.
Walker responded to the Warnock announcement by asking to "lock down" the WSAV debate on Oct. 14 on Twitter.
"It’s a fair debate. Open to the public. Televised statewide. And it’s not run by your donors," he tweeted.
Let’s lock down Savannah Oct 14th, Senator. I don’t care what the topics are. It’s a fair debate. Open to the public. Televised statewide. And it’s not run by your donors. You in? Let’s do this for the people.
— Herschel Walker (@HerschelWalker) September 7, 2022
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Warnock has consistently criticized Walker for how long it took him to commit to a debate, often quoting Walker's comments last October that he was willing to debate "any day of the week" — at least in principle.
“It's time for Herschel Walker to stop playing games,” Quentin Fulks, Warnock for Georgia campaign manager, was quoted as saying in a release on Wednesday. “The job of a U.S. Senator isn't one where you know the topics ahead of time or get a cheat sheet, and Herschel Walker shouldn't need one to find the courage to walk on a debate stage."
Nexstar, the company that owns WSAV, has released the terms for the debates.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Sen. Raphael Warnock accepts Herschel Walker Senate debate challenge
