Australian-American conservative commentator Nick Adams has been dropped as the nominee for the next United States ambassador to Malaysia, after his stalled nomination failed to advance in the US Senate.
The nomination lapsed without being heard in the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations, according to records on the Senate’s website, and it was sent back to the president on Jan 3 as per procedure.
Adam’s name was also absent from a long list of nominations resubmitted to the US Senate in the past two months, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
When queried about the development, he reportedly told the Australian newspaper that he is being “promoted” to a new role instead.
“I’ve been promoted from the role of ambassador! More details on that will come this upcoming week. I’m sure you’ll see it if you’re looking out for it,” he was quoted as saying.
US President Donald Trump had nominated Adams in July last year to serve in the Kuala Lumpur posting.
He had been slated to replace Edgard Kagan, a veteran career diplomat who was nominated to the role by then US president Joe Biden in May 2023. Kagan had retired from the US Foreign Service on Feb 15.
So far, no one has been nominated to replace Kagan after Adams’ nomination expired.
Criticised and protested against
Branding himself as a self-proclaimed “alpha male”, Adams is widely known for cultivating a combative online persona built around exaggerated displays of masculinity and staunch conservative politics.
He has also been widely criticised for making Islamophobic remarks, prompting concerns among Malaysian civil society groups and political observers about his suitability to represent Washington in a Muslim-majority country.
Such concerns culminated in a protest outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on July 18 last year to oppose his nomination.
A proud Zionist, Adams had previously posted about confronting a waiter wearing a “Free Palestine” pin and later boasted that the employee was dismissed.
The incident was highlighted by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, further fuelling debate locally over whether Adams was an appropriate choice for the ambassadorial position. - Mkini
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