President-elect Donald Trump introduced he will 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 Military, and athletes at residence and overseas,” Trump stated on social media Tuesday evening.
Walker would must be confirmed by the Senate to imagine the function. 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 function in 2014, however the Senate by no means even introduced her nomination up for a vote, in keeping with The Associated Press. She died in 2016.
Trump in his first time period nominated Doug Manchester in 2017 for the ambassador function, however his nomination stalled for over two years. CBS News in 2019 additionally uncovered proof of a possible pay-to-play scheme for the function. 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 Douglass’ nomination was withdrawn by President Biden when he took workplace, and Mr.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 present serves within the function of Chargé d’Affaires.
Walker rose to nationwide prominence as a star operating again for the Georgia Bulldogs, profitable the Heisman trophy in 1982. He spent his first few years {of professional} ball within the United States Football 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 one occasion, Walker admitted to writing a check for a lady who stated he paid for her to get an abortion in 2009, however he stated he hadn’t recognized what the cash was for.
Another girl claimed Walker paid her to get an abortion whereas the 2 carried out a six-year relationship whereas he was married to a different girl and taking part in within the NFL. During a information convention again in 2022, she stated 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 bought the abortion.
“This was a lie every week in the past and it’s a lie immediately,” Walker stated on the time following an interview the girl 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.
Aaron Navarro and
contributed to this report.
