Dr Anjani Sinha, US President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Singapore, endured a torrid time during a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday (July 9).The session, which included four other nominees, saw the nervy Dr Sinha at the receiving end of Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth's barrage of questions about his knowledge of Singapore.«This is not a role you can just pick up on a whim or because you think it will be glamorous, or because Singapore is a great place to live,» said Duckworth, while expressing her doubts about Dr Sinha's qualifications for the post.«I'm concerned about how your lack of understanding may even inadvertently cause friction in our critical relationship. Will you even be able to effectively lead our mission in Singapore?»Duckworth then asked Dr Sinha: «How large was the US trade surplus with Singapore in 2024?»Dr Sinha, who appeared nervous, replied: «$80 billion… $18 billion.»«$2.8, you're off by a huge factor,» said Duckworth. «The United States had a $2.8 billion trade surplus with Singapore in 2024.» Read more