Walker Says Diabetics Should ‘Eat Right’ When Asked About Insulin Costs
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Herschel Walker, Georgia’s Republican nominee for Senate, sparked backlash on social media after the first half of Friday night’s debate with Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock after saying that diabetics needed to be “eating right” in order for insulin to be effective.
Walker made the statement after a response from Warnock to a question on whether the senator took some responsibility for record inflation after supporting nearly every piece of legislation that has been pushed by the administration of President Joe Biden.
Warnock said he supported legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, so families “don’t have to choose between buying medicine and buying groceries,” in reference to the legislation’s ability to cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare.
Walker, in response to the senator, stated that he did “believe in reducing” the cost of insulin.
“But at the same time you got to eat right,” Walker said. “Because [Warnock] may not know and I know many people that’s on insulin, and unless you [are] eating right? Insulin is doing you no good.”
A clip of Walker’s response was later posted by The Recount on Twitter.
Users on Twitter quickly pounced on Walker’s response, including Georgia State University law professor Anthony Kreis.
“Herschel Walker on effectively helping folks with diabetes: ‘eat right,'” Kreis tweeted Friday. “Good work.”
Georgia congressional candidate Chuck Enderlin also took to Twitter, writing: “Herschel Walker puts the ‘die’ in diabetes.”
Shannon Watts, founder of the organization Moms Demand Action, said that Walker didn’t “understand” diabetes, among other topics discussed.
“Things Herschel Walker doesn’t understand: abortion, diabetes, how the federal government works,” Watts wrote.
Democratic pollster Matt McDermott echoed Watts’ tweet, adding that Walker was also confused about the concept of minimum wage.
“It would be one thing if he just had bad policies,” McDermott added. “But he literally doesn’t know how basic functions of our society work.
Shortly before Georgia’s debate Friday, Biden also spoke about the Inflation Reduction Act, in Orange County, California, to highlight his efforts to lower prescription drug costs for seniors. In a fiery speech, the president called out Big Pharma companies for raising drug prices as well as Republicans in Congress, noting that every congressional Republican voted against the act in August.
Biden told the crowd that in order to continue the battle against rising prescription costs, Democrats needed to remain in control of Congress after the midterm elections.
“[Democrats are] going to keep fighting for lower drug costs, saving insulin for children and families as well,” Biden said in his speech. “Because if we keep the House and Senate this time, we are going to make sure it applies to everybody in the country. Guaranteed.”
Walker has repeatedly said that he would not have voted for the Inflation Reduction Act if he were in Congress.
Newsweek has reached out to Walker’s campaign for comment.
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