Controversial Trump choice Nick Adams dropped as nominee for US envoy to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – The United States has dropped controversial Australian-American commentator Nick Adams as its nominated ambassador to Malaysia, with a career diplomat expected to be named in his place instead.

Mr Adams’ nomination in July 2025 drew a protest over his fiery right-wing rhetoric, including remarks widely viewed as Islamophobic, which critics said were incompatible with Muslim-majority Malaysia.

A US diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous confirmed to The Straits Times on Feb 24 that Mr Adams is no longer the White House’s designated ambassador to Malaysia.

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald initially reported that Mr Adams said he had instead been promoted to a yet-to-be-announced position, which he teased on X with a post reading: “Major announcement coming.”

Mr Iskandar Fareez, the vice-chief of the Socialist Youth wing in the Democratic Action Party, which is part of the government, told ST that the news was a welcome development.

“A divisive figure such as the Australian-American Nick Adams has no place in diplomatic dealings between Malaysia and the US, especially at a time of heightened uncertainty driven by trade tariffs,” said Mr Iskandar, who was among those who led the protest against Mr Adams.

He called for the new nominee to be a professional adept at understanding Malaysia’s cultural nuances and who “has a long list of diplomatic credentials instead of controversies”.

Political analyst Bridget Welsh from the University of Nottingham Malaysia similarly called for cooler heads, saying Malaysia needs an envoy who respects the country.

“Malaysia-US relations are facing unprecedented strain over tariffs and shifting geopolitics,” Dr Welsh said.

“Mr Adams lacked experience or understanding of Malaysia, and his toxic politics would have worsened ties.”

Self-described as US President Donald Trump’s “favourite author”, Mr Adams cultivated an exaggerated “alpha male” persona marked by machismo, misogyny and crass humour.

Critics cited his public admiration for Hooters, a US sports-bar chain known for its attractive female servers in revealing outfits, as ill-suited to socially conservative Malaysia.

Mr Adams sparked further controversy among conservative Muslims recently with an X post depicting an artificial intelligence-generated image of Mr Trump, dressed in a white suit, handing out copies of the Holy Bible to individuals.

“Donald Trump is the spiritual father of our country,” said the caption on his Feb 16 post. “We would be lost without his strong moral and biblical leadership!”

The relationship between Putrajaya and Washington has been strained even before Mr Adams’ nomination, mainly due to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s outspoken support for the Palestinian cause and his friendship with Hamas.

In October 2023, Mr Anwar told Parliament that his government had received three demarche notes from the US Embassy over Malaysia’s reluctance to consider Hamas a terrorist group.

Diplomatic demarche notes are formal diplomatic communication between countries to convey a specific position, request, protest or policy, often aimed at persuading the receiving party.

US Ambassador Edgard Kagan, who concluded his Kuala Lumpur posting on Feb 16, had also courted criticism from Malaysians and was described by diplomatic sources as abrasive.

This included his remark in November that Malaysia could face repercussions over its plans to join the BRICS bloc of countries, led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Speaking in an interview with Malaysia’s Bernama, Mr Kagan said that while the US understands and recognises Malaysia’s right to join the bloc, there could be consequences.

“The President has been very clear about what some red lines are and the potential consequences that would come from crossing those,” Mr Kagan reportedly said.

Malaysians reacted negatively to the remark, with many saying it sounded like a threat.

Malaysia and the US signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade in October 2025 during Mr Trump’s visit to Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur to address the tariff situation.

The deal, concluded on the sidelines of the summit, was designed to recalibrate tariff arrangements and address trade barriers between the two countries, including commitments on Customs duties and non-tariff measures.

The agreement, however, has been criticised as uneven and rushed.

Detractors – including former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – argue that it was concluded with limited parliamentary scrutiny and insufficient stakeholder consultation.

A key criticism is that certain provisions could constrain Malaysia’s policy autonomy and erode its sovereignty by aligning the country too closely with US strategic and economic interests.