Herschel Walker Narrowly Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Despite Controversial Past
Written by b87fm on 10/09/2025
The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed former NFL star and Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker as the next U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas — marking the first time the role has been filled in nearly 15 years.
According to NBC News, the Senate approved Walker’s nomination in a 51–47 vote along party lines. Since 2011, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau has been run by acting officials.
Walker, best known for his football career with the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants, also made headlines for his 2022 Senate run in Georgia — a campaign clouded by controversy.
Weeks before that election, reports surfaced that Walker had paid for an abortion in 2009, despite campaigning on an anti-abortion platform. He acknowledged writing a $700 check to an ex-partner but denied knowing it was for the procedure.
Walker has also faced criticism for a series of questionable public claims, including saying he graduated from the University of Georgia (he left during his junior year to join the NFL) and that he worked as an FBI agent despite never serving in the bureau. He also famously described himself as “220 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal” during a 2022 speech.
Supporters of his appointment argue that Walker’s name recognition and celebrity status could help strengthen U.S. cultural diplomacy in the Caribbean.
The ambassadorship to the Bahamas has remained vacant since 2011, when Nicole Avant stepped down. While former President Obama nominated Cassandra Butts for the role in 2014 and 2015, the Senate never confirmed her before her death in 2016.
