US Senate Confirms Anjani Sinha as Ambassador to Singapore in Narrow 51-47 Vote

The United States Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee, Dr. Anjani Sinha, as ambassador to Singapore by a narrow 51-47 vote on October 7, 2025, as part of an en bloc confirmation of over 100 nominees following a Republican-led Senate rule change that lowered the vote threshold from 60 to a simple majority. Dr. Sinha, an orthopaedic surgeon and entrepreneur with a background in sports medicine and multiple medical practices across New York and Florida, faced criticism during his July confirmation hearing where he struggled to accurately answer questions about the US trade surplus with Singapore. Despite opposition, including from Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth who questioned his qualifications, Dr. Sinha expressed his commitment to strengthening US-Singapore defense, economic, and people-to-people ties. Other key appointments confirmed alongside Dr. Sinha include Sergio Gor as ambassador to India and Sean O'Neill as ambassador to Thailand, as well as senior State Department officials Michael DeSombre and Dr. Paul Kapur for East Asian and South Asian affairs respectively. The confirmations are seen as critical to advancing President Trump's diplomatic agenda in Asia, with Dr. Sinha's close ties to the Trump family and business expertise cited as qualifications. The Senate's expedited confirmation process represents the largest group of nominees approved at once under the new rules, despite Democratic objections to the fast-tracking and concerns over appointees' qualifications.