President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Herschel Walker, a former NFL player who ran for a Georgia Senate seat in 2022, as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas. Trump praised Walker for his service to the nation’s youth, military, and athletes. Walker’s Senate campaign was tumultuous, with financial troubles, micromanaging, and evasiveness about his past contributing to problems. A report before the election revealed that Walker, a staunch anti-abortion candidate, had paid for a woman’s abortion in 2009. Trump defended Walker, calling the accusations slanderous. Despite this controversy, Walker must still be confirmed by a simple majority in the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans in early January.
Trump has already named most of his Cabinet picks, with some drawing scrutiny from Senate Republicans. He has also selected high-profile individuals, including Charles Kushner, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Tom Barrack, for ambassadorships to France, Greece, and Turkey, respectively. Walker campaigned with Trump during the 2024 presidential race. Walker’s selection as ambassador to the Bahamas highlights Trump’s continued loyalty to his allies and his effort to maintain influence in his post-presidency.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com