Anjani Sinha confirmed as new US ambassador to S'pore despite Senate grilling

Three months after his contentious Senate confirmation hearing, orthopaedic and sports medicine surgeon Anjani Sinha has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Ambassador to Singapore.

The decision was announced by the U.S. Senate on Oct. 7, after Sinha was voted in by a simple majority of 51-47 alongside other nominees, CNA reported.

The new U.S. ambassadors to India and Thailand, Sergio Gor and Sean O'Neill respectively, were also confirmed during the vote.

Grilled by Senator Tammy Duckworth

Sinha was U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for the position, and underwent a testy confirmation hearing on Jul. 9.

In a now well-circulated video of the hearing, he faced off against Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who criticised him for his apparent lack of knowledge about Singapore and called him not "particularly qualified for the role".

Sinha repeatedly failed to accurately answer questions posted by Duckworth, including when Singapore is to assume the chairmanship of Asean.

This led to Duckworth interrupting with "2027".

When asked how much the U.S. trade surplus in Singapore was in 2024, Sinha said, "80 billion dollars",  before immediately correcting it to "18 billion".

The right answer was US$2.8 billion (about S$3.6 billion), Duckworth pointed out.

She concluded by accusing Sinha of "not even [doing his] homework" before warning him to "shape up and do some homework".

She added that in her view, Sinha's nomination was "political" and that he was "unqualified".

Longstanding relationship with Trump

During his hearing, Sinha was also warmly introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said he had known Sinha for years.

The India-born, U.S.-based Sinha is also said to be a "golf buddy" of Trump, whom he has known for over a decade, Graham pointed out.

Having lost his father at a young age, he assumed financial responsibility for his siblings.

Sinha then graduated medical school in India before immigrating to the U.S. and specialised in orthopaedic practice, eventually opening multiple practices in New York.

"He'll be a great spokesperson for our country and Singapore... he knows the region and the issues," Graham said.

Former MFA permanent secretary Bilahari Kausikan also called on Singaporeans not to "prejudge" Sinha and said his personal relationship with Trump could prove useful.

Top image via Sen. Tammy Duckworth/YouTube