Former football star Herschel Walker, who previously sought a Senate seat in Georgia, has been named by President-elect Donald Trump as the new ambassador to the Bahamas. This announcement was made on Tuesday via a post on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, where he praised Walker as a “successful businessman, philanthropist, and former Heisman Trophy winner.”
Walker, affiliated with the Republican Party, gained significant attention in his Senate campaign when he attempted to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock two years ago. Endorsed by Trump, Walker leveraged his fame from his football accomplishments at the University of Georgia and in the NFL, although he ultimately fell short in the election due to various damaging accusations. Notably, these included allegations that he financed two former girlfriends’ abortions while advocating for a national ban on the procedure.
In addition to his ambassadorship role, Walker’s nomination will require approval from the Republican-led Senate in the coming year. During the current election cycle, he actively campaigned for Trump within Georgia.
Meanwhile, Trump revealed he is also nominating Nicole McGraw, an art collector, as the new U.S. ambassador to Croatia. This addition reflects Trump’s ongoing strategy of appointing individuals close to him to key diplomatic positions.
Throughout his appointment selections, Trump has favored a range of loyal allies for diplomatic roles. For example, Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was designated ambassador to France, while Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York, who has been a strong supporter of Trump, was chosen for the position of U.N. ambassador.
Trump has also appointed another Georgian, former Sen. David Perdue, as the U.S. ambassador to China. Perdue had lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and made an unsuccessful run against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in the 2022 primary. Additionally, former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler was appointed by Trump to lead the Small Business Administration.