Trump faucets Herschel Walker for ambassador to the Bahamas

President-elect Donald Trump introduced he’ll nominate Herschel Walker, the previous soccer participant whose 2022 Senate run was suffering from controversy, to function U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.

“Herschel has spent a long time serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our women and men within the Army, and athletes at dwelling and overseas,” Trump mentioned on social media Tuesday night time.

Walker would must be confirmed by the Senate to imagine the position. The Senate has not confirmed a U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in over a decade. Former President Barack Obama had nominated Cassandra Butts for the position in 2014, however the Senate by no means even introduced her nomination up for a vote, in line with The Related Press. She died in 2016.

Trump in his first time period nominated Doug Manchester in 2017 for the ambassador position, however his nomination stalled for over two years. CBS Information in 2019 additionally uncovered proof of a attainable pay-to-play scheme for the position. He ultimately withdrew and Trump went on to appoint William Douglass in 2020. Douglass’ nomination was withdrawn by President Biden when he took workplace, and Mr. Biden in flip nominated Calvin Smyre, who has not been confirmed by the Senate.

Absent an official ambassador to the Bahamas, Kimberly Furnish at the moment serves within the position of Chargé d’Affaires.

Walker rose to nationwide prominence as a star operating again for the Georgia Bulldogs, successful the Heisman trophy in 1982. He spent his first few years {of professional} ball in the US Soccer League earlier than it folded, after which moved on to the NFL.

Walker reentered the nationwide highlight when, at Trump’s urging, he challenged Georgia’s Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock for his seat in 2022. The race featured a number of controversies, together with two ladies claiming that Walker — who was operating as an anti-abortion candidate — had paid for them to get abortions.

Walker denied each allegations.

In a single occasion, Walker admitted to writing a examine for a girl who mentioned he paid for her to get an abortion in 2009, however he mentioned he hadn’t recognized what the cash was for.

One other lady claimed Walker paid her to get an abortion whereas the 2 carried out a six-year relationship whereas he was married to a different lady and taking part in within the NFL. Throughout a information convention again in 2022, she mentioned she could not undergo with the process when she went to get it herself, so Walker took her to a clinic within the Dallas space the subsequent day and waited for her whereas she received the abortion.

“This was a lie every week in the past and it’s a lie right now,” Walker mentioned on the time following an interview the lady gave every week after the preliminary information convention.

Warnock would go on to win the election in a runoff after neither candidate obtained greater than 50% of the vote on election day.

contributed to this report.