Georgia Republicans clearing the field for Herschel Walker

Publicly, the former president has encouraged Walker to run against Warnock. But his behind-the-scenes push has been even more robust. In recent weeks, Trump has personally asked GOP senators to call Walker and urge him to get in the race, according to two people familiar with those conversations. He has even merged senators onto his own calls with Walker to push them to make the pitch. (Walker could not be reached for comment.) With Trump’s enthusiastic support behind him, however, Walker could be tough to beat in a GOP primary in Georgia. But the party needs a candidate who can take down Warnock, and there’s a sense among some Republicans in the state that an untested first-time candidate like Walker could be a risky prospect in what may be the most closely-watched Senate race in the country. Given those concerns—and the continued uncertainty over where Walker actually stands on a run—some Republicans aren’t taking the prospect of his candidacy all that seriously. Neither are many Democrats. The most important person in the GOP, however, is extremely serious, and that’s all that matters right now.