‘Not welcome here’: Malaysia lashes out at ‘Zionist’ US envoy pick Nick Adams
Critics have blasted as an ‘insult’ the push to appoint a self-styled ‘Alpha Male’ known for his Islamophobic tirades as US ambassador
The Trump administration’s selection of Nick Adams, a self-styled “Alpha Male” author and social media provocateur, as the next US ambassador to Malaysia has triggered outrage in the Muslim-majority nation, with critics questioning the motives behind the decision.
Washington announced on Thursday that Adams, who has a history of inflammatory remarks, had been selected for the diplomatic post. The decision has prompted alarm among diplomats and Southeast Asian observers, many of whom see President Donald Trump’s choice as prioritising political loyalty over diplomatic expertise.
Adams, a naturalised American and former member of Australia’s Liberal Party before immigrating to the United States in 2012, has regularly courted controversy with his misogynistic remarks, Islamophobic tirades – such as the claim that Trump’s opponents sought to “teach Islam in schools” – and vocal support of Israel.
Members of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition have decried Adams’s appointment as an “insult” to the Muslim-majority country, especially its decades of support for Palestinian rights.
Nick Adams is not a diplomat, not a statesman. He is merely an extreme right-wing propagandistMus’ab Muzahar, Amanah official
“Nick Adams is not a diplomat, not a statesman. He is merely an extreme right-wing propagandist, a Trumpist and vocal supporter of Israel’s Zionist regime,” said Mus’ab Muzahar, an official from moderate Islamist party Amanah, part of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition.
“His social media rhetoric is full of hatred, racism and Islamophobic sentiments which veer far from mature bilateral relations.”
Adams was among the five ambassadorial picks put forward by the Trump administration for Senate confirmation last week, alongside potential envoys to Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Kazakhstan.
He has repeatedly made headlines in his adopted homeland – once for calling US pop superstar Taylor Swift a “woke jezebel” and on another occasion for pushing a boycott of M&M’s over packaging that celebrated women.
The controversial pick for envoy, who has in the past claimed to be Trump’s favourite author, has also attracted attention for his public pleas on social media to save Hooters – the American restaurant chain known for its scantily clad waitstaff.
Malaysians were quick to pounce on a post from last August, in which Adams claimed to have persuaded the owner of a restaurant to fire a waitress for wearing a “Free Palestine” pin, boasting that he “won’t tolerate being served by those who support terror”.
“Firing a waitress for wearing a Free Palestine pin is not strength – it is cowardice. You and your hatred are not welcome here Nick Adams,” Malaysian social media user Azril Mohd Amin wrote in response.
Others had more humorous takes, referencing Adams’ fondness for Hooters as a potential downside of him moving to the Southeast Asian nation.
“He’s not gonna be happy there’s no Hooters in Malaysia,” read one comment on a post about his nomination.
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Adams’ nomination comes as a stark departure from precedent: Washington has typically sent seasoned career diplomats to Malaysia who were well-versed in the country’s cautious, pragmatic and nuanced foreign policy style that favours quiet diplomacy over headline-making rhetoric.
If confirmed, Adams will succeed Edgard Kagan, who assumed the ambassadorial post early last year, towards the end of Joe Biden’s presidency.
