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President Donald Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to Singapore, Dr. Anjani Sinha, discovered himself on the middle of controversy this week after a difficult Senate affirmation listening to. Trump, saying Sinha’s nomination in March, praised him as a “extremely revered entrepreneur” and wrote on Reality Social, “I’ve little doubt that Anji will strongly characterize our Nation’s Pursuits, and put America First. Congratulations Anji!” The US State Division cited Sinha’s “native respect for each American and Asian values” and his robust enterprise background within the Indo-Pacific area as key components in his choice.
Who’s Anjani Sinha?
Dr. Anjani Sinha is a Florida-based orthopaedic and sports activities drugs surgeon with a distinguished profession in each private and non-private healthcare. Initially from India, he graduated from MGM Medical College and Delhi College with a Grasp’s in Orthopedic Surgical procedure.
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President Donald Trump’s decide to function ambassador to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, confronted robust questioning throughout a Senate affirmation listening to by which he struggled to reply inquiries from Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth in regards to the city-state and its ties to Washington.… pic.twitter.com/nG56LcvRoh
— Bloomberg (@enterprise) July 10, 2025
Sinha later constructed a community of clinics in New York and served as a senior surgical marketing consultant in Florida. He’s additionally identified for his philanthropic work, with he and his spouse, Dr. Kiki Sinha—a retired anesthesiologist and former NYU college member—donating to a number of academic establishments within the US and India.
Regardless of his medical and entrepreneurial credentials, Sinha has no prior diplomatic expertise, a proven fact that turned a focus throughout his Senate listening to.
Senate Listening to Turns Contentious
Throughout Wednesday’s Senate affirmation listening to, Sinha confronted intense questioning from Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Duckworth pressed Sinha on a spread of vital subjects, from Singapore’s financial relationship with the US to its strategic function in Southeast Asia and the US Navy’s presence within the area.
Sinha’s responses have been inconsistent and, at instances, incorrect. When requested about Singapore’s commerce surplus with the US, Sinha initially claimed it was $80 billion, then revised his reply to $18 billion.
Senator Duckworth corrected him, stating the precise determine was simply $2.8 billion. The nominee additionally stumbled when requested about ASEAN management, incorrectly stating that Malaysia at the moment held the chair. Duckworth in the end equipped the right reply herself: “2027.”
Struggles to Defend Trump’s Tariffs
Sinha additionally appeared unsure when defending President Trump’s latest tariffs on Singapore. In April, Trump introduced a baseline 10 % tariff on imports from Singapore, regardless of a free-trade settlement between the 2 international locations since 2004.
Greater tariffs are anticipated in sectors like semiconductors and prescribed drugs. Sinha tried to justify the transfer, saying, “I imagine within the president’s determination of a free commerce … and he’s resetting the commerce numbers with every nation and he’s open for dialogue and dialogue with these international locations.”
Duckworth, a retired Military Nationwide Guard Lieutenant Colonel and the primary Thai-American girl elected to Congress, underscored Singapore’s significance as a US ally within the Indo-Pacific. She described it as “one of the crucial essential alliances, buddies” for the US, and a key location within the strategic competitors with China.
Accusations of Treating the Function as “Glamour Job”
The listening to’s most heated second got here when Duckworth accused Sinha of treating the ambassadorship as a “glamour job.” She instructed him, “You aren’t at the moment ready for this posting, interval, and that you must form up and do some homework. You suppose it is a glamour posting, that you simply’re going to stay a pleasant life in Singapore, when what we’d like is somebody who can truly do the work.”
Sinha defended himself, describing his candidacy as that of a “lifelong bridge builder” and pledging to strengthen US-Singapore ties. He was launched on the listening to by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who known as him “a buddy of President Trump for over a decade.”
Viral Response and Ongoing Debate
The trade shortly went viral in Singapore, the place the US maintains vital strategic and financial pursuits. On-line critics mocked Sinha’s lack of preparation, with one BBC-reported remark dubbing him “extra embarassador than ambassador.”
Regardless of the grilling, Sinha stays within the working for the submit. A last Senate vote on his affirmation continues to be pending, leaving the way forward for Trump’s controversial nominee unsure.
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