Trump's nominee for Singapore ambassador, Anjani Sinha, faces tough Senate grilling over knowledge gaps

Online Citizen​

10-07-2025

Dr Anjani Sinha, US President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Singapore, came under heavy scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 9 July 2025.
The hearing, which also assessed four other nominees for diplomatic positions, quickly became tense when Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Thai-American military veteran, began her line of questioning.
In his opening remarks, Sinha thanked President Trump for his trust and Republican Senator Marco Rubio for his support.
He described Singapore as the United States' 'key strategic partner and friend' in the Indo-Pacific.
He promised that, if confirmed, he would aim to expand defence and security ties, deepen economic relations, and enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warmly endorsed Sinha's nomination.
Graham, who has known Sinha for years, highlighted Singapore's robust medical community, adding that the nominee's medical background made him an excellent match.
Senator Pete Ricketts also spoke favourably of Sinha's potential to strengthen relations with Singapore's leadership. Ricketts recounted meeting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing during the Shangri-La Dialogue earlier this year.
Duckworth's scepticism and pointed questions
However, Duckworth quickly set a stern tone, warning that an ambassadorship in Singapore was not a role to be taken up on a whim.
She told Sinha directly that she feared his lack of preparedness could strain the US-Singapore relationship, which she described as critical in countering regional threats, including from the People's Republic of China.
When Duckworth quizzed Sinha on the size of the US trade surplus with Singapore in 2024, Sinha initially gave an incorrect figure of US$80 billion, then changed it to US$18 billion.
Duckworth corrected him, stating the actual surplus was only US$2.8 billion.
She used this discrepancy to question his understanding of economic ties between the two countries.
JUST NOW: Tammy Duckworth grills Dr. Anjani Sinha, Donald Trump's nominee to be the next Ambassador to Singapore, who clearly has no idea what he is doing at all pic.twitter.com/fVGJMjA0St
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 9, 2025
Tariffs and diplomatic challenges
Duckworth further asked Sinha how he would explain to Singapore the Trump administration's decision to impose tariffs despite the trade surplus.
In April 2025, the administration imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Singaporean goods, with the president having threatened duties as high as 25 per cent.
Sinha avoided giving a direct opinion on the tariffs. Instead, he reiterated that he supported Trump's overall trade policy, describing it as an effort to 'reset trade numbers' through dialogue.
Pressed again by Duckworth to clarify his stance, Sinha did not commit to opposing or supporting the tariffs specifically targeting Singapore.
Knowledge gaps on ASEAN and security ties
Duckworth then tested Sinha's familiarity with ASEAN matters.
She asked when Singapore would next chair ASEAN. Sinha failed to provide the answer, which Duckworth noted was 2027.
When asked what Singapore's priorities might be as chair, Sinha's response was dismissed by Duckworth as too broad and lacking depth.
The senator also sought details on the US Navy's cooperation with Singapore, which Sinha failed to specify.
'You want to be ambassador to Singapore, one of our most important alliance friends in the Indo-Pacific,' Duckworth said sternly.
She stressed that the role required someone who understood both the strategic significance of Singapore and the complexities of regional security.
Duckworth's warnings on treating Singapore as a 'glamour posting'
Duckworth warned that Singapore's rich culture and high living standards should not blind nominees to its importance as a security partner.
She accused Sinha of failing to take the position seriously enough, repeating her point that the post could not be treated as a reward or an escape to an attractive city-state.
'This nation is too important to the United States, to ASEAN, to the entire region,' Duckworth said.
'I just feel that you are not taking this seriously, and you think this is a glamour posting that you're going to live a nice life in Singapore.'
Duckworth has previously challenged other nominees on their grasp of regional affairs.
During an earlier hearing, she pressed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on his knowledge of ASEAN member states, with similarly unimpressive results.
Sinha's defence and claims of personal ties
Defending his suitability, Sinha highlighted his medical background, portraying himself as a 'bridge builder' accustomed to fostering strong professional ties.
He emphasised that, if confirmed, his first priority would be to establish close working relationships with Singapore's leadership.
Sinha also pointed to personal connections, noting that he and Singapore's Foreign Minister Balakrishnan share a medical background.
He claimed that both he and Balakrishnan had trained at the same medical school, with Sinha specialising in orthopaedics while Balakrishnan became an eye surgeon.
Sinha also stated that their wives shared similar professional paths, claiming Balakrishnan's spouse is a neurologist.
However, this statement was factually incorrect. Joy Balakrishnan, the minister's wife, is an educator and active community volunteer, not a medical doctor.
According to the Mainly I Love Kids Fund, which she co-founded in 2004, Joy Balakrishnan has dedicated herself to community work and previously led Girl Guides Singapore.
Trump's endorsement and the nomination process
In March, Trump announced Sinha's nomination on Truth Social, describing him as a 'highly respected entrepreneur' who would put 'America first'.
Sinha, a practising orthopaedic surgeon on the US East Coast, has built multiple medical practices across New York and works as a senior consultant in Florida.
He holds a Masters in Orthopaedic Surgery from Delhi University and MGM Medical School in India.
Under US law, ambassadors are nominated by the president and must be reviewed by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
The committee may hold hearings to question nominees before voting on whether to advance the nomination to the full Senate.
If approved by the committee, the full Senate then votes on whether to confirm the nominee.
Once confirmed, the ambassador presents credentials to the host government.