The Trump administration is basically a jobs program for self-styled tough guys and unabashed bigots these days. This was on full display Tuesday, when President Donald Trump touted Markwayne Mullin’s MMA background during his formal introduction as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security — as if the president thinks Mullin’s job will involve literally fighting crime, fingerless gloves and all.
The cringey displays of MAGA bravado didn’t end there. The administration revealed on Tuesday that it had tapped right-wing influencer Nick Adams to serve in a new position the administration is calling the “special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values.”
Adams, a naturalized citizen who emigrated from Australia, is basically an Andrew Tate clone, give or take a few controversies. He’s a hypermasculine influencer who has capitalized on the online sector known as the “manosphere,” which he has used to peddle brazen misogyny while marketing himself as an “alpha male.” He has also faced backlash for saying people who don’t stand with Israel “stand with terrorists,” and he has called Trump the “spiritual father of our country.”
Adams, who previously was nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, seems to be getting the Kristi Noem treatment here — that is, given a vague (and perhaps, relatively inconsequential) “envoy” position in lieu of a more esteemed role.








