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Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker has defended his move to pull out a law enforcement badge during a debate, claiming that he has a number of badges that are "legit" and give him "the right to work with the police getting things done."
In an interview with NBC News, Walker explained why he flashed a badge during Friday's (October 14) senate debate with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who took aim at the GOP candidate's false claims of working in law enforcement.
Walker told NBC News that the law enforcement badge he brandished was "legit" despite a moderator repeatedly telling him to put it away as debate rules prohibit the use of props.
“I have badges all over the state of Georgia,” Walker said, noting that he also holds an “honorary sheriff badge” from Chatham County, where Warnock is from.
During the interview, the Republican senate candidate also pulled out a badge that he alleged was from Johnson County, where he grew up.
“If anything happened in this county, I have the right to work with the police getting things done," Walker said. "People don’t know that I’ve been working with law enforcement for years."
“But they can call me whenever they want me, and I have the authority to do things for them, to work with them on a thing,” he continued.
Despite the National Sheriffs' Association saying that such honorary badges should be left "for the trophy case," Walker was adamant that he's been using the badge to work with law enforcement "for years."
“I had a sheriff that gave me the badge — been there for years, I’ve been there for years — came out and did a press conference with me, and said Herschel been with us for years, he’d been working with us,” Walker said in his interview with NBC News.
He repeatedly denied allegations of lying about his connection to law enforcement.
“I’m right because I have worked in law enforcement, and I’ve been working with law enforcement,” Walker said. “I did it before I decided to run for office. This had nothing to do with me running for office. So when people say that, they’re talking.”
The Johnson County sheriff confirmed to NBC News that he had given Walker the honorary badge and said he didn't have a problem with him using it in his political campaign.
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