Ambassador Herschel Walker Posts Jet Ski Video That’s So Weird People Thought It Was SNL Skit

 
Herschel Walker

Screenshot via X.

Herschel Walker, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to The Bahamas, posted a video on Monday that had social media users scratching their heads and openly pondering if it was actually a Saturday Night Live skit.

Walker previously challenged Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in 2022, losing a runoff election that December. The former football star had Trump’s endorsement but was plagued by his penchant for getting his name in headlines for all the wrong reasons, including, as an incomplete list, his many inexplicably bizarre comments, troubling allegations that he threatened his ex-wife at gunpoint, other ex-girlfriends who accused him of violent behavior, reports that the staunchly pro-life candidate had encouraged girlfriends to get abortions, the revelations he had multiple “secret” children, vociferous denunciations on social media by his own son Christian Walker, a highly-ridiculed attempt to present a prop police badge as a legitimate law enforcement credential, a bizarre monologue about vampires vs. werewolves, a habit of rambling word salad commentary, and a very awkward Freudian slip on Fox News.

The video posted by the official account for the U.S. embassy in Nassau shared a “SAFETY ALERT” many people would likely not list as a top priority for Americans traveling abroad: jet ski safety.

“Ambassador Herschel Walker has an important message for Americans visiting The Bahamas: Jet ski rentals pose a serious risk of injury, death, and sexual assault,” the caption said. “U.S. gov’t employees are banned from renting them — and you should avoid them too. Watch. Share. Stay safe.”

In the video, dramatic music plays as Walker introduces himself and says he has an “important message for Americans visiting or living in The Bahamas” about the “serious dangers associated with renting jet skis and small watercraft, and swimming at beaches where jet skis and small watercraft are being operated in shallow water.”

According to Walker, Americans have died or been hospitalized from injuries caused by jet ski accidents, and “Americans have also been sexually assaulted by jet ski operators who take victims to isolated islands.”

Other dangers stem from jet skis that are in unsafe condition, not maintained properly, and operators who are unlicensed and uninsured, he added.

“That’s why U.S. government employees are banned from renting or riding jet skis,” he said.

Walker said that the U.S. was working with local government authorities in The Bahamas on these issues, but in the meantime, “consider all the risks before you get on a jet ski in The Bahamas.”

“Your safety matters,” Walker concluded. “If you need help, contact the embassy immediately.”

Social media users were quick to pounce on the strangeness of the video, with several comparing it to an SNL skit and others cracking jokes about how a jet ski could commit a sexual assault, due to the awkward phrasing of the video caption. Others expressed their incredulity that Walker, not exactly known for his eloquence or diplomatic experience, was now an actual ambassador representing the United States.

A selection of reactions is below.

 

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!

Tags:

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.