Herschel Walker, a longtime ally of Trump, ran for the 2022 Senate election and was eliminated. He is currently heading to the Bahamas as representative of the Trump administration.
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 Reuters – The US Senate on Tuesday appointed former NFL star and political candidate Herschel Walker as the next US ambassador to the Bahamas, and approved filling the post that had been vacant for about 15 years.
Walker has become one of more than 100 candidates confirmed in one vote after Republicans changed Senate rules to allow them to recognize President Donald Trump’s candidate more quickly.
Bahamian ambassador to the US Wendal Jones welcomed the approval and told Reuters: “He will be warmly welcomed by the Bahamians, who are widely known for his hospitality.”
He added that Walker is “in an advantageous position to help both governments communicate on many issues of mutual concern.”
Despite its close ties with the US, the Bahamas have no ambassadors since 2011. According to the State Department’s Historical Office, the Bahamas were one of only five countries that have not had an ambassador for more than a decade, including Bolivia and Cuba.
Walker, 63, ran for the 2022 Georgia Senate election as a Republican, but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Rafael Warnock. He was appointed ambassador in December by his longtime ally, then-President-elect Donald Trump.
A State Department spokesman said Walker would be “a true advocate for the US-first foreign policy agenda,” and his appointment would help promote US interests in the Bahamas Islands, located within 90 miles of Florida.
Walker will take the post amid growing concerns from the US over China’s growing presence in the archipelago.
“It’s more important than ever to have an ambassador. China is actively projecting power and malicious influence,” Walker said at a confirmation hearing last month. “The company has built a nearly $3 billion deep sea port and is making other investments in confidential areas that could affect the national security of the United States.”
The Chinese government has invested in major tourism hubs, transshipment ports and national stadiums in the Bahamas, and has recently agreed to fund new hospitals in Nassau through loans from China’s Export and Import Bank.
Bahamian Chinese officials denied their desire for influence and called China a “trusted friend and long-term partner.”
Dr. Robert Evan Ellis, a Latin American expert at the US Army University, said that the growing economic and security presence in the Bahamas requires further attention from the US government.
He added that Walker’s arrival was a sign of Trump’s interest in the region and could ultimately benefit U.S. relations.
