Former NFL Player Herschel Walker: ‘I’ve Seen Racism Up Close And It Isn’t Donald Trump’

Black leaders are defending President Donald Trump despite his history of racist rhetoric and action. Add a former Heisman Trophy winner to the list.

Retired NFL player Hershel Walker snared a speaker spot at the Republican National Convention (RNC) to shill for the Republicans and to clarify that President Donald Trump isn’t a racist, according to The New York Post.

“It hurt my soul to hear the terrible names that people call Donald,” Walker said in a televised speech Monday night. “I take that as a personal insult, that people would think I’ve had a 37-year friendship with a racist.”

He continued, “growing up in the Deep South, I’ve seen racism up close. I know what it is and it isn’t Donald Trump.”

Walker then went on to say that Trump cares about social justice in the Black community.

“Just because someone loves and respects the flag, our National Anthem, and our country, it doesn’t mean they don’t care about social justice,” he said. “He shows how much he cares about social justice in the black community through his actions. And his actions speak louder than stickers and slogans on a jersey.”

Walker then appeared on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle Monday night to paint a picture of who the president really is.

“I don’t think people really know Donald Trump,” Walker said. “I think they look at Donald Trump from a tweet or look at from what he says, and they’re not looking at what he does.”

“I was raised Democrat, and I didn’t know any better, and what’s strange is I’m not saying the Democrat Party is bad, I’m saying it doesn’t fit what I believe,” he said.

After a storied career at the University of Georgia, Walker started his football career playing for the New Jersey Generals of the defunct United States Football League (USFL). That franchise was owned by–you guessed it–Donald Trump. In fact, many USFL alumni blame Trump’s desire to compete with the NFL, topped off with an absurd lawsuit against the league, for the spring football league’s demise.

When the upstart league went belly-up, Walker planted in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys (1986–1989, 1996-1997)), the Minnesota Vikings (1989–1991), the Philadelphia Eagles (1992–1994), and the New York Giants (1995).