Herschel Walker Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas

ATLANTA, Ga. — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed former football star Herschel Walker as the ambassador to the Bahamas. Walker’s nomination followed his previous political bid as the Republican nominee in Georgia’s 2022 Senate race.

President Donald Trump nominated Walker for the diplomatic position, marking the first appointment to the Bahamas in over a decade. The confirmation passed with a 51-47 vote, as part of a larger package of over 100 nominees during a government shutdown.

Walker, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1982 while playing for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “Herschel has spent decades serving our Nation’s youth, military members, and athletes,” Trump stated in a post announcing the nomination.

Though Walker was backed by Trump, his Senate campaign faced significant controversy, including allegations that he had urged women to obtain abortions, which he denied. He ran against incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock, losing by 2.8 points in a runoff.

The package of nominees was confirmed through new procedural rules that allow the Senate to approve nominees in groups rather than individually, expediting the process that had slowed in previous months. Senators Jon Ossoff and Warnock opposed Walker’s nomination.

Among the other nominees confirmed were Sergio Gor for ambassador to India and David Fink to head the Federal Railroad Administration. As the Senate navigates ongoing budget negotiations, the confirmation of Walker and others sets a significant milestone in the current political landscape.