Psaki rips Walker ad featuring Riley Gaines as 'attacking transgender people'
MSNBC contributor Jen Psaki blasted Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker over his latest campaign ad featuring a female NCAA swimming champion speaking out against competing against biological males.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki blasted Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker on Thursday for his latest campaign ad featuring a female NCAA swimming champion speaking out about competing against biological males.
The MSNBC contributor claimed the commercial was "attacking" trans people and included it among several "very good signs" for his Democratic opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Psaki also insisted that high Democratic voter turnout among women and young people, as well as the general "craziness" that she claimed has come out of Walker’s mouth during his campaign, boosts Warnock’s chances of winning a still tight race.
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MSNBC contributor Jen Psaki slams U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker for ad "attacking transgender people." (Screenshot/MSNBC)
Psaki made her comments during Thursday's episode of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," arguing that, because Walker had employed an ad focusing on red meat issues for the conservative base after Nov. 8 — the midterm election day — it suggests he is still desperate for voter support.
Psaki was referencing a Walker campaign ad featuring Riley Gaines, "a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, who shared her story of competing against a biological male in a women's swimming competition," Fox Digital reported.
Psaki characterized Walker employing the ad as him "attacking transgender people."
She said, "The other interesting sign to me in this race is that in the weeks post the election… the Walker campaign was running ads on transgender — attacking transgender people. Right? This to me tells me they’re still trying to appeal to conservatives and get them in line. And that is a better sign for Warnock."
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Riley Gaines is a 12-time NCAA All-American, five-time SEC champion and record holder, and two-time Olympic trial qualifier. She is also a storyteller with the Independent Women’s Forum.
Co-host Willie Geist mentioned that, despite Walker being a "bad candidate" who "doesn’t campaign well," a recent Emerson poll only has "Warnock up two points."
He added that it is "still kind of a margin-of-error race there."
Psaki downplayed how precarious the situation is for Warnock, saying, "Yeah. Look, Georgia is a purple state… Even with the strength of Reverend Warnock as a strong candidate and a powerful candidate, it still is going to be a close race."
She reassured "Morning Joe" viewers that the political winds haven’t turned on Warnock, asserting, "There are some very good signs here, Willie, not just Herschel Walker’s craziness every time he opens his mouth, about vampires or whatever he may be talking about."
Jen Psaki signed with MSNBC after leaving the Biden administration. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images)
In addition to Walker’s alleged "craziness," Psaki pointed to voter turnout going in Warnock’s favor. She said, "Also, the fact that the early turnout numbers are so high. Women are turning out. Young people are turning out."
Psaki added, "These are groups — well, we don’t know who everybody voted for — but are typically good for Democrats. And Democrats have been really focusing on turning out."
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