Nick Adams should be drinking Jungle Birds at a sky-high bar in Kuala Lumpur right now. Last July, President Donald Trump nominated the shitposting Australian-American to be the United States’ ambassador to Malaysia. Yet here he is with me instead, drinking Negronis at a bar in Washington, D.C., while trying to convince me the job the president gave him when the ambassadorship fell through is much, much better.
Adams is the first-ever special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism, and values. The job, the essence of which is to promote the U.S. as a great place to visit, was created by the Trump administration earlier this year, and Adams, 41, stepped into it in March. “Ambassador to Malaysia was a bilateral position,” he tells me. “This is being the brand ambassador for the United States, the top salesman of America. It’s perfect for my personality.”
He’s got his work cut out for him. U.S. tourism declined by 5.4 percent last year—which, according to the BBC, is the result of growing anti-American sentiment caused by Trump’s tariffs and the administration’s hostile rhetoric toward Europe. In addition, some travelers fear being wrongfully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
And this week, arguably, is Adams’s biggest so far, with the influx of tourists flocking to the U.S. to see the World Cup soccer matches. By some estimates, the games will see an extra one million visitors flying into the country to watch the tournament. There’s been a lot of negative noise around it. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) reportedly canceled 75 percent of the hotel rooms it had reserved in Kansas City, Missouri, due to a “lack of interest.” This might have something to do with the fact that ticket prices are insanely high—with primo seats bought at the last minute topping $10,000. Difficulty getting visas has also reportedly made it difficult for some foreigners to attend. But Adams doesn’t seem fazed.
