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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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What's New
Former NFL player and one-time Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker has been nominated by Donald Trump to be ambassador to the Bahamas—however, his new role is a downgrade from the role Trump previously suggested for him.
Walkers's appointment as ambassador to the Bahamas was announced by Trump on social media on Tuesday night.
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His appointment comes after Trump previously told supporters at a rally in Georgia in April that he wanted to put Herschel in charge of a new missile defense shield if elected.
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Trump praised Walker on Truth Social on Tuesday: "Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation's youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"Walker will "make Georgia, and our entire Nation, proud, because we know you will always put AMERICA FIRST!" he added.
At the Georgia rally in April, Walker accidentally endorsed the wrong Trump, calling on people to vote for the President-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr.
"It is time for it to stop, and it stops on Tuesday when we vote for my friend, and your friend, Donald Trump Jr. — Donald Trump. Jonald J. Trump," Walker said.
Trump spoke after Walker, saying if he was elected, he would "build a missile defense shield all made in the USA," and "put Herschel Walker in charge of that little sucker." Walker has no experience in missile defense or national security.
It is not clear what Trump meant by a "missile defense shield," or if Trump meant Walker would be in charge of overseeing all U.S. missile defenses or the process of building a new system.
However, Trump has previously declared he would create an "Iron Dome" for the United States in a second term, referring to the missile defense system used by Israel, which is designed to intercept short-range rockets, as well as shells and mortars, at ranges of between 4km and 70km.
At the rally in April, Trump said "a lot of" such a system would be built in Georgia, where Walker lost a Senate runoff election to Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022, despite being strongly backed by Trump and his MAGA allies.
Trump has not discussed his plans for the missile defense shield recently, but on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, said he wants the U.S. to have an "Iron Dome" system like Israel.
"I mean, we need an Iron Dome for America," the Florida Republican said. He made the remark after reports of mystery drone sightings in New Jersey, and other parts of the Northeast which have baffled local and federal officials.
On Monday, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the Biden administration has not identified "anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risks over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast." But some have questioned this assessment, suggesting the drones could be coming from China.
Newsweek has contacted the President-elect and Herschel Walker for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Walkers appointment comes after a string of Trump loyalists have been nominated for Cabinet positions, with some questioning the appropriateness of Trump's picks for his top team—Walker included.
Walker's political career has been plagued by controversies. He previously mistakenly said there were 52 states, falsely claimed he was once an FBI agent, and lied about graduating from the University of Georgia, when in reality he had left to play professional football and did not complete his degree.
The former athlete was slammed by his own son when he ran for the Senate after women came forward to allege he had pressured them into having abortions. Walker denied the allegations.
Trump gave Walker an early endorsement in his Senate campaign, despite concerns from some Republicans about Walker's personal history, effectively clearing the way for his primary win and eventual loss to Warnock.
Other controversial picks include Trump's choice of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary. Hegseth was the subject of sexual assault allegations in 2017. Hegseth was never arrested or charged and denies wrongdoing.
Hegseth also received backlash after saying that he believes women should not serve in combat roles in the military.
This week a group of Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee wrote to Trump to express "deep concerns" about whether "Pete Hegseth's attitudes toward women, including allegations of sexual assault and harassment, disqualify him to be the next Secretary of Defense."
What To Know
Walker spent 12 seasons in the NFL beginning in the late 1980s before retiring and pursuing business ventures in food processing.
He later ventured into politics, serving as co-chair of Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition from 2019 to 2020 before running for the Senate.
Walker's connection to Trump dates back to the early 1980s, when he joined the New Jersey Generals, a team in the United States Football League owned by Trump at the time. In his book The Art of the Deal, Trump described berating the team's coach for not fully utilizing Walker's abilities.
Walker has no previous diplomatic experience or clear connections to the Bahamas, a nation of roughly 400,000 people located just off Florida's coast.
However, such qualifications are not uncommon for ambassadorial appointments to smaller or less politically critical nations, which are often awarded to major donors, party loyalists, business leaders, celebrities, or other prominent figures.
What People Are Saying
President-elect Donald Trump said on Truth Social: "I am pleased to nominate Herschel Walker as United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation's youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad."
Trump went on to call Walker, a former National Football League (NFL) player, a "successful businessman, philanthropist, former Heisman Trophy winner, and NFL Great." The president-elect also commended Walker's previous work in the first Trump administration.
"During my First Term, he served as Co-Chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. Herschel has traveled to over 400 Military installations around the World, removing the stigma surrounding mental health," Trump added. "He represented the United States at the 1992 Winter Olympics as a member of the U.S. bobsled team."
"Congratulations Herschel! You will make Georgia, and our entire Nation, proud, because we know you will always put AMERICA FIRST!"
Conservative columnist and Editor-in-Chief of The Dispatch Jonah Goldberg said on X: "The amount of damage Herschel Walker can do as ambassador to the Bahamas is not zero. But it is so close to zero that we don't have the ability to measure it with any meaningful level of confidence."
Social media user Grant Stern said on Bluesky: "At least Herschel Walker can't break anything significant as the Ambassador to The Bahamas."
What Happens Next
Walker must now secure Senate confirmation before he can officially serve as ambassador to the Bahamas.
The United States has gone more than a decade without a permanent ambassador to the Bahamas, as several nominees have been left in limbo due to the Senate's failure to act on their confirmations.
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