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.
That said, I’d argue it’s still degrading for the nation. Tapping someone like Adams to serve in a public-facing role promoting our country has an air of cheap American ugliness that feels akin to replacing the Statue of Liberty with a statue from outside a Big Boy burger joint. A quote the Trump administration gave The New York Times suggests that Adams’ new role may have something to do with Trump’s highly scrutinized plans to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary this summer: Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, did not answer questions about why Mr. Adams’s previous nomination had been pulled. In a statement, Mr. Ingle called Mr. Adams ‘an America First patriot who will represent our country well as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary of independence, and we look forward to working with him to further showcase and advance America’s excellence across the world stage.’ In a video posted on X on Tuesday, Adams was similarly light on specifics, saying, “It is my job to never let a day go by without reminding the world that the United States is more than even the sum of our achievements.”
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. 
