Overview

• During the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sinha misreported the 2024 U.S. trade surplus with Singapore by first citing US$80 billion and US$18 billion before correcting to US$2.8 billion.
• He could not specify that Singapore will next chair ASEAN in 2027 or detail the responsibilities of the rotating chairmanship, drawing criticism for inadequate preparation.
• Broad answers on U.S. Navy cooperation and Indo-Pacific security prompted Senator Duckworth to warn against treating the envoy role as a “glamour” posting.
• Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Pete Ricketts highlighted Sinha’s people-to-people rapport and decade-long friendship with President Trump in defending his nomination.
• Despite Senator Duckworth’s announced opposition and viral social media ridicule, Sinha’s support from key Republican committee members keeps his confirmation on track.