WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President-elect Donald Trump selected Herschel Walker, a former football great who he had supported for the Georgia Senate election in 2022, as the United States ambassador to The Bahamas, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
Republican Walker was defeated by Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s 2022 election.
Walker was one of Trump’s first 2022 endorsements. He was a passionate abortion opponent who faced allegations that he paid for two women’s abortions after they became pregnant, which he disputed.
He was also well-known for gaffes on policy matters and occasionally puzzling musings, such as one on werewolves and vampires.
After The Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1973, the United States established diplomatic ties with the country.
According to the State Department, around 80% of the 7 million visitors that visit The Bahamas each year come from the United States, and the two nations’ trading relationship is valued at $7.3 billion per year, with a $3.8 billion US trade surplus.
