Former Fonzie Henry Winkler had a few choice words for Herschel Walker after the former NFL star and current GOP Georgia Senate nominee bashed celebrities.
On Tuesday, neurosurgeon-turned-politician Ben Carson, in a conversation for the American Cornerstone Institute, had asked Walker about the nation's biggest issue.
"I think some of the biggest problems going on in our country today, we have so many celebrities telling people that they can't do it," Walker answered, per The Comeback. "Telling a lot of people, 'Oh, well, you got to feel bad for yourself, feel sorry for yourself.' Which is sad to me. They've done it, but they're telling you you can't do it. And it's like, you did it, why they can't do it? I think they tell all the kids they can't do it, making our kids feel sorry for themselves."
The first sentence is longer than any run he’s had on a football field. https://t.co/pNoEPsWVye
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) June 15, 2022
Winkler, who currently stars in HBO's comedy-drama "Barry," wasn't about to let that comment slide.
"I need to repeat this again I am an American First with every right to an opinion . . . then I am an actor," Winkler wrote in a bold tweet. "Got that Mr. Walker . . . Mr famous Athlete."
I need to repeat this again I am an American First with every right to an opinion … then I am an actor .. Got that Mr. Walker .. Mr famous Athlete
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) June 16, 2022
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Walker's quote – which failed to address any other issues such as gun violence, the bipartisan divide, encroaching fascism or dialing back rights for women and other marginalized groups – also ignores his own fame. As a former athlete who's arguably been elevated into politics based on his past, Walker's greatest strength could be seen as his celebrity.
Winkler, who's best known for playing The Fonz on "Happy Days," might have been tempted to tell Walker to "sit on it," but instead tweeted: "Aren't [you] kind of a celeb, Hersh?"
Aren’t a kind of celeb Hersh ?? https://t.co/rXWiYiHTdO
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) June 15, 2022
Winkler also responded to a separate tweet, in which one user expressed shock over Walker's recent success in the polls.
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"My head spins. He's on the ballot! How crazy has this country become?" the user wrote. "And he's polling well!!!! I'm trying not to go numb, while at the same time wanting to be numb."
Celebs are AMERICANS first https://t.co/CkOs4V9xTo
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) June 15, 2022
In a quote tweet, Winkler simply said, "Celebs are AMERICANS first."
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