Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) record of openly criticizing men and women in the military has drawn the attention and ire of many recently – including Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee challenging Warnock in the November General Election.
“Back in 1992, Warnock helped organize a movement calling for cuts to our military funding. Then, from the pulpit in 2011, he said you ‘can’t serve both God and the military.’ Since he was sworn into the Senate, he has been complicit with Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the mishandling of Ukraine, voted against billions of dollars in veterans care, and has repeatedly failed to support our troops. Now, he is attacking Herschel for helping soldiers get the help they clearly need. Our only conclusion is that Raphael Warnock must hate our military,” said campaign spokesperson Mallory Blount.
The Walker camp pointed to a number of actions by Warnock, including:
In 1992 – Warnock coordinated a platform to call for cuts in military funding
- “The platform of the Fannie Lou Hamer Convention named for the civil rights activist shut out of the 1964 Democratic Convention will be debated and then ratified this afternoon. A draft includes calls for […] cuts in military spending.”(Susan Jaffe, “Solutions Goal Of New York’s Other Political Convention,” St. Petersburg Times, 7/12/92)
- “During the 1992 Democratic Convention in New York City, he coordinated, under the auspices of Clergy and Laity Concerned (CALC) and the Abyssinian Church, an alternative People’s Convention, in memory of Fannie Lou Hamer.” (Ebenezer Baptist Church, 6/21/06)
- 2011 – Warnock says “nobody can serve God and the military https://www.foxnews.com/politics/flashback-raphael-warnock-america-nobody-can-serve-god-military
- 2021 – Warnock votes against S.Amdt. 1154 to S.Amdt. 891 to H.R. 1319 (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021)
- Statement of Purpose: To increase the availability of amounts for the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Senator Warnock Vote: Nay https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00107.htm
However, it seems Warnock is changing his tune. Stung by these criticisms from Walker and prominent voices in the national security community, Warnock recently thought it prudent to join Georgia Republican members of Congress in asking the Biden administration not to close Georgia military bases under the administration’s BRAC (“Base Realignment and Closing”) agenda.
