SINGAPORE: United States President Donald Trump’s choice for ambassador to Singapore had a humiliating time before the Senate earlier this week.
“I’m trying to help you here,” Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth told Dr Anjani Sinha, an orthopaedic and sports surgeon Mr Trump handpicked for the position. “But you haven’t even done your homework.”
Ms Duckworth asked Dr Sinha a series of questions regarding Singapore’s economy, the US Navy’s work with Singapore, and when the city-state will chair the ASEAN, which the would-be envoy visibly struggled to answer.
This resulted in the Senator telling him: “You are not taking this seriously. You think this is a glamour posting. You think that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore, but what we need is someone who’s actually going to do the work.”
@thechillicrap Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth reprimands Dr. Anjani Sinha after the US ambassador to Singapore nominee fails to answer questions on the country and its ties with the US during a Senate hearing… #singaporetiktok #tiktoksingapore #tiktoksg #tarrifs
The senator underlined how important Singapore is to the United States, especially in the region, in the context of the tensions between the US and China.
Ms Duckworth told Dr Sinha, “I want to reinforce for you again right now. You are not currently prepared for this posting. Period. And you need to shape up and do some homework.”
As the clip of Dr Sinha’s grilling was shared on social media, some commenters took to calling him more of an “embarassador than ambassador.”
“Anjani Sinha has absolutely zero expertise or experience in international relations or diplomacy whatsoever,” a Facebook user noted.
Another wrote, “Jialut la. As an HR practitioner, this is a big FAIL for an interview. The end of US supremacy is near.”
Dr Sinha, a staunch supporter of the Republican Party in the US, was nominated for the post by Mr Trump in March, which means he’s certainly had ample time to prepare for the ambassadorship to Singapore.
In a post on Truth Social, the US President wrote, “I have no doubt that Anji will strongly represent our Nation’s interests, and put America first. Congratulations, Anji!”
He is said to have been friends with Mr Trump for over 10 years, according to an introduction from Senator Lindsey Graham.
In May, the U.S. Department of State touted Dr Sinha’s “deep social and cultural ties to the Indo-Pacific region” and wrote that he is “uniquely positioned to relate to its key stakeholders.”
“His appreciation for Singapore’s role as a financial hub, and his own business expertise — particularly in the life sciences and healthcare sectors – render him well qualified to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore,” it added.
Despite Dr Sinha’s poor showing this week and the backlash that ensued online, he is still likely to be confirmed as ambassador to Singapore, given the Republican Party’s majority. /TISG
