WASHINGTON (AP) — Herschel Walker, the football legend who unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, has been chosen by President-elect Donald Trump as ambassador to the Bahamas.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He described Walker as “a successful businessman, philanthropist and former Heisman Trophy winner.”
Walker, a Republican, tried to oust Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock two years ago with Trump’s support. Walker benefited from nearly unparalleled name recognition during the campaign from his football career at the University of Georgia and in the NFL. But he fell short in his efforts, unable to refute a series of damaging allegations, including claims that he paid for the abortions of two ex-girlfriends, despite supporting a national ban on the procedure.
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He campaigned for Trump this year in his home state of Georgia.
In order to take the ambassador position, Walker will have to have his nomination approved by the Republican-led Senate next year.
Trump also announced Tuesday that he is nominating art collector Nicole McGraw as U.S. ambassador to Croatia.
Trump has elected a variety of loyalists to diplomatic posts. Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was named ambassador to France, and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, one of his strongest defenders in the House of Representatives, was picked as his ambassador to the United Nations.
He selected another Georgian, former Senator David Perdue, to serve as US ambassador to China. Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a 2022 primary against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
Another former Georgia senator, Kelly Loeffler, was also tapped by Trump for a job. He chose her to head the Small Business Administration.
