(NewsNation) — Controversy has dogged Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign since the Daily Beast broke a story saying he paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion.
Walker, a Republican who has spoken out strongly against abortion rights, is running against incumbent Democratic senator Raphael Warnock.
“I’ve been saying that this thing was going to be Walker’s to lose and the only exception would be some sort of catastrophe,” one Georgia Republican strategist told The Hill. “And I think without the right response, this could end up being that catastrophe.”
Indeed, one poll from InsiderAdvantage and Fox 5 shows that Warnock regained his narrow lead after the allegations came out: Warnock was at 47%, compared to Walker’s 44%.
Still, some Republicans have shown their support for Walker, saying the Democrats have resorted to dirty gutter politics and lies. Former President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the candidate was being “slandered and maligned.”
At the same time, Walker’s own son, Christian, took to social media to call his father a “liar” and “hypocrite.”
“Family values people — he has four kids, four different women, wasn’t in the house raising one of them,” Christian Walker said. “The abortion card drops yesterday. It’s literally his handwriting on the card. They ‘say they have receipts, whatever. He gets on Twitter. He lies about it, OK, I’m done. I’m done. Everything has been a lie.”
As The Hill points out, Walker has faced other controversies, such as questions about his business record, as well as allegations of domestic violence, and that he fathered three children he hasn’t mentioned previously.
In response, Herscher said on Twitter he loves his son “no matter what.”
Although Walker has repeatedly denied the claims made in The Daily Beast’s story, and even threatened to sue, the news outlet says they have receipts to back up their reporting.
A woman, who wants to remain anonymous, showed The Daily Beast proof that she paid for an abortion and that Walker gave her a $700 check to cover the cost. She also said Walker gave her a get-well card and signed it.
“This is a flat-out lie and I deny this in the strongest possible terms,” Walker said in a statement.
Walker and Warnock will have their first debate on Oct. 14, and you can watch it live on NewsNation.