Trump nominates former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump nominated Herschel Walker, the former football star he previously endorsed for the 2022 Senate race in Georgia, to be U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.

Walker, a Republican, lost the 2022 race to Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia.

Walker was one of Trump’s earliest 2022 endorsements. He was a staunch opponent of abortion and faced allegations that he paid for two women to have abortions after impregnating them, which he denied.

He was also widely known for gaffs on political issues and sometimes confusing musings, including a riff on werewolves and vampires.

The United States established diplomatic relations with the Bahamas in 1973 following its independence from the United Kingdom.

About 80% percent of the 7 million tourists who visit the Bahamas each year come from the United States, according to the State Department, which adds that the trade relationship between the two countries is about $7.3 billion annually, with a trade surplus of $3.8 billion.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)