Reporter escorted out of Hall GOP event

Reporter asked to leave picnic advertised as "Open to Everyone"

Rahul Bali @rahulbali

U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker & Congressman Andrew Clyde were scheduled to speak at the Hall County GOP Independence Day Picnic. Advertised as “Open to Everyone”, I was asked to leave. A Hall GOP member told me it was a private event & speakers were told no media. #gapol

A Hall County Republican Party event featuring Senate candidate Herschel Walker and U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde was advertised on social media as “Open to Everyone.” But a reporter was asked to leave the event after county party officials said that reporters were not allowed to ask questions.

Rahul Bali, a political reporter at Atlanta NPR station 90.1 WABE, arrived at the Hall County GOP Independence Day picnic shortly before 11:00 AM on Saturday morning. It was held at Longwood Park in Gainesville. He was in the middle of interviewing picnic attendees when a Hall GOP official instructed him to leave, saying that Walker — who had not arrived yet, would not be taking questions from reporters.

Bali then shared a flyer for the event on Twitter later in the afternoon, which said that the picnic was “Open to Everyone.” But the Hall GOP official told him that it was a private event and that the speakers were told that reporters would not be present.

Many reporters and journalists defended Bali, with some noting that it has been difficult to access Walker and others suggesting that the encounter was a violation of the first amendment.

For now, Walker appears to be running the same “velvet rope campaign” that he ran in the primary: closed-door speeches, avoiding debates, declining interview requests and holding private events.

Saturday’s encounter comes after an unflattering week for Walker’s campaign — a week that has left many with concerns about his candidacy. A left-leaning news site recently obtained emails and text messages from Walker staffers who worry that he is not mentally prepared to be a U.S. Senator.

One anonymous staffer said that the former UGA football star spouts falsehoods “like he’s breathing.” Another source used more colorful language, describing the Walker campaign as “a sh*tshow on a train in the middle of a wreck.”

The piece also says that Walker has repeatedly misled his campaign team about his personal life — particularly his previously undisclosed children. While he has insisted that there are no more, staffers are reportedly seeking tips about more children that Walker fathered.

Walker’s closed-door strategy might not continue for much longer, as he is scheduled to participate in three debates with his opponent, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, “a number they hope to whittle down to one, the source said—and only if it is on their terms.”