Washington DC - President-elect Donald Trump nominated Herschel Walker, who made an infamously scandal-plagued run for a Senate seat in 2022, as the US ambassador to the Bahamas.

Trump touted the ex-NFL star's athletic record as a reason for his pick.

"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," he wrote on Truth Social.

During Trump's first term in office, Herschel Walker served as co-chairman of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. He was subsequently removed from the position by the Biden administration when he ran for the Senate in 2022.

Donald Trump Trump hosts widow of Japanese PM who was assassinated as Melania makes rare appearance

His bid for Democrat Raphael Warnock's seat in Georgia was mired in scandal, as he was accused of paying for his girlfriend to terminate her pregnancy despite his staunchly anti-abortion views. This was then followed up by a number of other similar allegations from other women.

The race against Warnock was close, leading to a runoff election which Walker narrowly lost. That was the 62-year-old former running back's only experience in politics until now.

Trump justified the nomination by also pointing towards Walker's success as a businessman and philanthropist, as well as his work on mental health.

"Congratulations Herschel! You will make Georgia, and our entire Nation, proud, because we know you will always put AMERICA FIRST!" Trump said.