United States

Nick Adams appointed special envoy to promote American values: the face of the manosphere in US diplomacy

An unprecedented assignment for Adams, known for his alpha masculinity and provocative posts, now the official face of promoting US tourism and values around the world.

by Angelica Migliorisi

25 March 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

"I will be a tireless spokesman for American greatness, at home and abroad". On 17 March, Nick Adams' name appears in the US State Department's records, with a title that is unprecedented in the diplomatic structure: special envoy for tourism, American greatness and values. Two months earlier, his trajectory seemed to have stopped.

In January, his candidature for ambassador to Malaysia had clashed in the Senate without reaching a vote. The protests in Kuala Lumpur, the controversy over some of his posts - including "If you don't stand with Israel, you stand with terrorists" - had turned that nomination into a case even before it entered the formal circuit. Adams himself says it in an interview: nothing will be done about it. Now, the comeback.

The profile is the one he built online. "Yes, I am an alpha male. Yes, I eat rare steaks. Yes, I visit Hooters frequently' ("Yes, I am an alpha male. Yes, I eat rare steaks. Yes, I visit Hooters frequently'), he wrote in August 2025. Hooters is the US restaurant chain founded in the 1980s, known for its female staff in tight tank tops and shorts and an offering centred on chicken wings, beer and sports.

In another post, as Hooters went through a difficult phase, he spoke of "Bidenflation" and "woke un-Americanism", going so far as to propose: "I personally volunteer myself to lead a Presidential Taskforce For The Preservation of Hooters".

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In other speeches, he recounts dialogues with waiters, voters and strangers, which he presents as real but which often change in detail or do not match. At the beginning of his online activity, some of this content is interpreted as ironic or provocative, almost a caricature of the so-called 'manosphere', the digital ecosystem that brings together influencers and online communities centred on aggressive and identity-driven models of masculinity. Over time, however, they begin to circulate and be taken so literally that they enter the political debate.

In one of the most quoted he writes: 'I lift extremely heavy weights. I read the Bible every night. I am pursued by copious amounts of women' ('I lift extremely heavy weights. I read the Bible every night. I am pursued by copious amounts of women'). In recent months, much of that content has been removed. But the traces remain. And when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrates birthdays with 'no cake, just steak', Adams raises the bar: 'This is how alpha males celebrate birthdays'.

In the video describing his new assignment, he says: "My job is to never let a day go by without reminding the world that the United States is worth more than even the sum of our achievements.

No further explanation. And then: 'With America 250, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics coming up, the world needs to be reminded of all we have to offer'.

The White House opts for a more institutional formula: 'Showcase and advance America's excellence across the world stage'. Adams 'translates' it this way: 'Bringing the message of America's excellence to the entire world'.

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At 16 months, he was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. The diagnosis was made by an American doctor, hence - as he often remembers - his connection to the United States. In Australia he had been the country's youngest deputy mayor, before being expelled from the Liberal Party for behaviour deemed damaging to the party's image ('likely to embarrass or cause damage to the reputation of the party').

In the US, he builds his profile from books and social media. 'Green Card Warrior', released in 2017, is promoted by Trump a few weeks after publication. Later comes 'Alpha Kings', with a preface signed by the president: 'One of my favourite authors and also one of my favourite speakers'.

In those pages he insists on an idea of masculinity as a response to asociety he calls 'hyper-feminised', promising to 'show the young men of America what it means to be a true alpha male'.

In 2021 he obtained American citizenship. Since then, his political presence has passed almost entirely through social media, between posts of direct support for Trump and attacks on opponents.

In the same weeks as his nomination, more games are being played in the administration. On 5 March, Donald Trump announced the change at the head of the Department of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem leaves office after weeks punctuated by tensions over the management of the department. In her last message, she avoids ruptures: 'I will continue to build on this work'. A few days later, her name reappears in another role, that of special envoy for a new regional security initiative.

The successor arrives almost immediately. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, is pointed out by the president and quickly brought to a Senate hearing. In front of the senators, Mullin distances himself from the administration of the previous weeks: 'I am not a micromanager', he says. On the subject of warrantless searches, at the centre of the controversy, he adds: 'We have to follow the Constitution'. On 24 March the Senate votes: 54 yes, 45 no.

Mullin is a former plumbing contractor and former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. A sport to which Trump has also been linked for years through his relationship with Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), so much so that he announced the possibility of an event at the White House for the America 250 celebrations.

In the past, Mullin had told of having personally participated in rescue operations of US citizens abroad during international crises. Appointments move, words remain. The rest will be seen.