Things can get batty out on the campaign trail, but a candidate riffing on the pros and cons of vampirism versus being a werewolf really takes the stake … I mean cake.
In a campaign speech on Wednesday, Republican candidate for the US Senate in Georgia, Herschel Walker, told his supporters: “I didn’t want to be a vampire anymore. I want to be a werewolf.”
Mr Walker told the audience about the plot details of a horror movie he recently watched.
“I don’t know if you know, but vampires are some cool people, are they not?” he asked.
“But let me tell you something that I found out: A werewolf can kill a vampire. Did you know that? I never knew that.”
Mr Walker – a former American football star – is one of several Donald Trump-endorsed candidates who struggled to beat their Democratic opponents in the midterms.
The incumbent Georgia senator, Raphael Warnock, outpolled Mr Walker but did not get 50 per cent of the vote, meaning the two will face off in a second vote on December 6.
The Democrats have already won the Senate, but a lot is riding on this race, including Trump’s reputation.
Mr Trump repeatedly encouraged Georgia republicans to vote for Mr Walker in the upcoming run-off during his announcement that he would run for president.
Some Republicans are concerned Mr Trump’s endorsement could hurt Mr Walker’s chances.
Multiple Trump-aligned candidates who ran on platforms focused on his false claims of widespread election fraud were defeated in the midterms.
For his part, Mr Walker rarely mentions Mr Trump on the campaign trail.
Mr Walker is campaigning on an anti-abortion platform while it is alleged he pressured two women into having abortions.
He has repeatedly disputed the facts on climate change.
During his speech, Walker said a vampire surviving an attack using a cross and holy water demonstrated that faith was required to overcome adversity.
“We gotta have faith in our fellow brothers. Gotta have faith in this country. We gotta have faith in elected officials. And right now that’s the reason I’m here.”
Footage of Mr Walker’s speech has gone viral on social media, with many mocking the candidate.
House of Horrors
Now that Mr Trump has confirmed that he plans to run again in 2024, some observers have started speculating on who he will announce as his running mate.
There are rumours that the queen of MAGA herself, Majorie Taylor Green, could be in the running.
Ms Green is the first open QAnon supporter elected to Congress.
For the uninitiated, QAnon is an American political conspiracy theory and political movement.
Ms Green has been criticised by both Republicans and Democrats for promoting dangerous conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and other extremist beliefs.
In 2018, she claimed wildfires in California could have been sparked by a Jewish cabal with a space beam.
Despite her controversial statements, Ms Green has only grown more prominent within the Republican Party, moving from the fringe to become one of its most prominent and influential figures.
Last week, she easily won re-election in the state of Georgia.
In The Washington Post, Ms Green says she and Mr Trump have discussed the possibility that she will be his 2024 running mate.
Democrats breathed a sigh of relief when one of Mr Trump’s most controversial supporters and perhaps the most vocal to embrace the Big Lie lost her bid to become the next governor of Arizona.
Kari Lake lost her closely fought governor’s race against Democrat Katie Hobbs.
The contest was one of the most significant in the general election because Arizona is a battleground state expected to play a pivotal role in the 2024 US presidential election.
Ms Lake, a former television news anchor, was one of a string of Trump-aligned Republican candidates who lost battleground state races.
Voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin also rejected election deniers in races for governor and other statewide election posts.
