During a February 18 Black History Month reception at the White House, President Donald Trump mixed up The Bahamas and Bermuda while praising former National Football League (NFL) star Herschel Walker, whom he nominated as U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas. The moment was broadcast on Fox News and soon went viral on social media, as viewers worried about the 79-year-old president.
“And Herschel Walker, speaking about loyal. How good a football player was Herschel?” Trump said in the East Room. “Herschel Walker. Now he’s the ambassador to the Bahamas. I don’t know. The Bahamas, Bermuda, whatever. A nice place!”
People in the room laughed, but one X user wrote, “If you’re announcing an ambassador, at least get the country right.” Another added that the moment showed that the president “doesn’t know anything about these appointments.” A third wrote, “God help us.”
To be clear, Walker is the ambassador to The Bahamas, not Bermuda.
The difference matters because The Bahamas is an independent Caribbean nation of roughly 700 islands southeast of Florida. Meanwhile, Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic, which is close to North Carolina.
Herschel Walker lied about being an FBI agent & lied about being a police officer & lied about graduating from the University of GA & lied about how many kids he has & lied about paying for his ex-girlfriend’s abortion. So naturally Trump names him as Ambassador to the Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/dXmxnTpSxH
— anyone_want_chips (@anyonewantchips) December 18, 2024
Trump’s latest slip-up happened at an event that was his administration’s tribute to Black Americans. The president, though, praised economic achievements and named Black athletes he considers friends, including Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard.
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Walker, 62, has been a Trump ally for a long time. In December 2024, Trump nominated him as ambassador to The Bahamas. Walker has a Heisman Trophy, a stint with the New Jersey Generals (which used to be owned by Trump) and a place on the U.S. bobsled team at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
In 2022, Walker ran as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Georgia against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock. His campaign was overshadowed by allegations involving past relationships and abortion payments, which he denied. Additionally, there was scrutiny over his academic record and professional background. He ultimately lost that race.
Walker also has no formal diplomatic experience. That fact has been criticized by foreign policy observers who argue that ambassadorships should be for career diplomats or individuals with regional expertise.
The Bahamas currently does not have a Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador in post.
🚨BREAKING: Donald Trump nominates Herschel Walker as United States Ambassador to the Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/bKdz4b5NFy
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 18, 2024
Last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump mixed up Iceland and Greenland. Earlier this month, he shared a video on Truth Social that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama with their faces superimposed on apes, which many political figures condemned as racist. Trump later said a staffer posted the video, and he had not watched it fully, though Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Truth Social posts come directly from the president.
How closely do you think the president tracks the appointments he makes?
