Trump Says He’ll Put Herschel Walker In Charge Of Missile Shield After Ex-NFL Player Flubs His Name

Topline

Former President Donald Trump told supporters in Georgia on Sunday he wants to put former NFL player and 2022 GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in charge of a new missile defense shield if elected, during an appearance with Walker on the campaign trail.

Key Facts

At a rally in Macon, Georgia, Walker spoke first as he touted his 40-year-long relationship with the former president and urged his supporters to “not let Donald Trump down.”

Walker, whose 2022 Senate run was plagued by gaffes and controversies, closed his speech by telling the audience: “When we get to the polls and we vote for my friend and your friend Donald Trump Jr,” before trying to correct himself saying “Donald Trump. Jonald J. Trump.”

Trump addressed the audience later in the evening and said if elected he’d move to build a missile defense shield in the U.S. that will be “wrapped all around the country to defend ourselves.”

The former president then said, “a lot of it,” would be built in Georgia and added: “We’ll put Herschel Walker in charge of that little sucker.”

It is unclear if Trump was serious, or if he meant Walker would be in charge of overseeing missile defenses in the U.S. or the process of building it.

Key Background

Trump endorsed Walker in 2022 when he ran as the GOP candidate for the Senate seat from Georgia, against incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. While polling showed the race to be extremely tight—with FiveThirtyEight ranking it as leaning towards the Republican—the former Georgia running back’s campaign was mired in multiple controversies. Walker falsely claimed he was an FBI agent and during a debate with Warnock, he flashed a prop badge. Walker also faced allegations of domestic abuse and despite his very public anti-abortion stance, he reportedly paid a former girlfriend to get an abortion—claims Walker denied. Walker lost to Warnock by nearly three points after the race went into a runoff.

News Peg

Walker is not the first controversial figure that Trump has touted as a potential member of his administration if he wins. At his rally in Madison Square Garden last week, Trump said he plans to bring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on board his administration and “I’m gonna let him go wild on health. I’m gonna let him go wild on the food. I’m gonna let him go wild on medicines.” The former president again told NBC News on Sunday Kennedy will play a “big role” in his administration if he’s elected. Kennedy, who has repeatedly spread false claims about vaccines, said if Trump wins he plans to remove fluoride from public water. Trump also said he would “talk to” Kennedy and “other people” about whether to ban certain vaccines. Trump has also promised to bring billionaire Elon Musk on board his administration and let him run a proposed “government efficiency commission” to help slash public spending.

Further Reading

Everything We Know About Trump’s Potential Cabinet If Elected—As RFK Jr., Elon Musk Are Possible Candidates (Forbes)

Trump Open To RFK Jr.’s Anti-Water Fluoride Proposal, Doesn’t Rule Out Banning Some Vaccines (Forbes)

Herschel Walker ‘Prop’ Badge: Candidate Has Long Record Of Claiming To Be A Cop (He’s Not) (Forbes)