It quoted a US diplomatic source, who wished to remain anonymous, as confirming today that Adams was no longer the White House’s designated ambassador to Malaysia.

Previously, Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald reported Adams as saying he had instead been promoted to a yet-to-be-announced position, which he teased on X with a post reading: “Major announcement coming.”

A naturalised American citizen originally from Australia, Adams is known for his support of US president Donald Trump and was active in the 2024 US election campaign.

News of his nomination resulted in opposition last year, including from former law minister Zaid Ibrahim and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who said Malaysia had every right under the Vienna Convention to reject Adams’s appointment without giving any reason.

Zaid had previously described Adams as a “right-wing agitator and partisan provocateur” unfit to serve as a US ambassador due to his lack of diplomatic credentials.

He said rejecting such a nomination would not harm bilateral relations, but instead would signal that Malaysia valued substance over showmanship and expected its partners to treat it with the same respect it offered.

Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar said accepting Adams would be seen as a direct insult to the Muslim community and Malaysians who supported Palestine.

He claimed Adams had previously made Islamophobic comments and expressed strong support for Israel.

He pointed to a post by Adams on social media, in which he claimed to have pressured a US restaurant to dismiss a waitress for wearing a “Free Palestine” pin.