Senate Confirms Herschel Walker and Dozens of Trump Nominees Following Rule Changes

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Herschel Walker as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas on Tuesday, alongside dozens of other President Donald Trump’s nominees for diplomatic, military, and sub-cabinet positions, following a controversial change to Senate rules.

Walker, a former NFL star and 2022 Georgia Senate candidate, was approved in a 51-47 party-line vote. He will be the first U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in nearly 15 years, filling a post that has been led by a series of chargés d’affaires since 2011.

The vote followed Republicans’ decision this month to change Senate rules—often called the “nuclear option”—reducing the minority party’s ability to slow down confirmations. The rule change allowed Trump’s nominees to move forward more quickly after months of complaints that Democrats were delaying appointments to important government positions.

Other notable ambassadorial confirmations include:

Kimberly Guilfoyle, former Fox News personality and fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., for Greece.
Callista Gingrich, former ambassador to the Vatican and wife of ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, for Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Walker, a Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Georgia and former player for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants, lost his 2022 Senate campaign to Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. His campaign faced controversy, including financial troubles and questions about a past abortion-related payment, which he acknowledged but denied knowing was for an abortion.

With his confirmation, Walker will serve as the first ambassador to the Bahamas in nearly 15 years, joining other nominees now moving into key government roles following the Senate’s rule change.