Trump Spends Birthday with Herschel Walker While Georgia Republicans Continue to “Privately Worry” About His Potential Campaign, Crowded Primary

Last night, Donald Trump blew out his birthday candles alongside Herschel Walker — the Texas resident he’s openly encouraged to enter Georgia’s U.S. Senate race — giving Georgia Republicans yet another headache as their GOP primary continues to sputter. The former president’s #1 choice is “still very much considering a run,” but he seems to be in no rush despite private worry from Republicans in Georgia about the prospect of another divisive, messy, and expensive primary.

Here’s what you need to know about the GOP’s Georgia Senate woes:

• Herschel Walker, Trump’s preferred candidate, is still “very much considering a run” and looming over the primary field – a worrisome prospect for party leaders. Having watched the former president and the Georgia GOP lose three highly consequential elections in November and January, Republicans in Georgia and Washington “privately worry” that they could be setting themselves up for failure if Walker gets in. 

• “Everything seems up in the air now.” After “big-name Republicans” passed on running, a slew of lesser-known GOP politicians have decided to run or are floating potential campaigns. The lack of a clear frontrunner or well-known candidate has created “a lot of uncertainty” for Republicans.

• The GOP field could get even bigger – promising the messy, expensive primary they hoped to avoid. Speaker David Ralston began floating his own name after a visit with Mitch McConnell. Rep. Buddy Carter is interested in a run — something a Savannah Morning News columnist wrote is “sure to end in failure” — but he awaits Walker’s decision. And failed politician Kelly Loeffler is rumored to want a rematch for the seat she was never elected to and lost last January. 

• Meanwhile, the Georgia Republican Party – dubbed “a mess” by its own supporters and still hung up on 2020 – is doing little to help the situation. 

“Georgia’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate is shaping up to be an absolute mess from start to finish,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “No matter what Donald Trump wishes, he’s blown a cloud of chaos and confusion over the GOP Senate primary that’s sure to cause major headaches for Georgia Republicans.”

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