'Led us down a rabbit trail' Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. slams Trump for forcing Hershel Walker on the party

Georgia Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R) recently expressed his disapproval of former President Donald Trump's endorsement of Senate candidate Hershel Walker.

The top-ranking Georgia official believes Trump has forced Walker on the state's voters, per Mediaite. Duncan's remarks come amid Walker's tumultuous week riddled with scandal.

New allegations suggest Walker, who claims to be pro-life, paid for his ex-girlfriend to have an abortion. The reports spiraled, even more, when it was revealed the same woman also raised a child she had with the Senate candidate.

READ MORE: 'Outrageous rhetoric': Maryland governor blasts fellow Republicans for 'defund the FBI' proposals

On Thursday, October 7, Duncan offered his take on Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). While Duncan admitted that he has no plan to vote for Warnock, he also insisted that Walker has "not earned his 'respect'" either, per the news outlet.

During the interview, CNN's Anderson Cooper asked the Georgia official, "Do you think some Republicans will just be turned off and stay away?”

To which, Duncan replied, "No, I think Republicans are going to show up and vote for Brian Kemp and state-wide candidates up and down. They’ve done a great job. Brian Kemp has done better than any other governor in the country with dealing with the pandemic, and civil unrest, and the economy and growth.

"I mean, they’re going to show up and vote. It’s up to the Walker campaign to figure out how they’re going to convince them to vote for him."

READ MORE: 'Make nice with MAGA': A 2020 'false elector' is Georgia GOP Governor Brian Kemp’s running mate

Duncan went on to place the blame on Trump for the entire debacle. “I mean, we let down the entire country,” he said. “Donald Trump led us down a rabbit trail – post-election – because he was too consumed with trying to save face from losing his election. And he ran us down a trail and we screwed up.”

In addition to the interview, Duncan has also penned an op-ed further expounding on his perspective of Walker. "Walker won his Senate primary not because of his political chops or policy proposals," Duncan wrote. "He trounced his opponents because of his performance on the football field 40 years ago and his friendship with former President Donald Trump – neither of which are guaranteed tickets to victory anymore."

He also included a warning to the Republican Party. "If we want the American public to take us seriously, we need to take the first step by nominating candidates they should take seriously. That process goes beyond celebrity or fame. It requires leaders capable of winning elections by articulating a conservative vision for governing."

READ MORE: 'Stay in Mar-A-Lago': GOP Lt Gov begs Trump not to bring 'traveling circus' to Georgia race