By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump nominated Herschel Walker, the former football star who he had previously backed for the 2022 Senate race in Georgia, as the U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
Republican Walker lost the 2022 race to Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock in Georgia.
Walker was one of Trump's earliest 2022 endorsements. He was a staunch opponent of abortion and faced claims that he paid for two women to have abortions after getting them pregnant, which he denied.
He was also widely known for gaffes on policy issues and sometimes confusing musings, including one riff on werewolves and vampires.
The United States established diplomatic relations with The Bahamas in 1973 following its independence from the United Kingdom (TADAWUL:4280).
About 80% percent of the 7 million tourists who visit The Bahamas each year come from the United States, according to the State Department, which adds that the trade relationship of the two countries is about $7.3 billion annually with a $3.8 billion U.S. trade surplus.