
Loading summary
Howie Mandel / Ryan Seacrest
The Global Gaming League is presented by Atlas Earth, the fun cashback app. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my How We do it gaming team take on Gilly the king and wallow. 2, 6, $7 million gaming in an epic global Gaming League video game showdown. Plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match right now@globalgamingleague.com that's globalgamingleague.com in partnership with Level Up Expo.
Joe Perdicone
At VRBO, we that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support. So we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our VRBO care guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready before your stay, through the moments in between and after your trip. Because a great trip starts with peace of mind and maybe a good playlist, but we've got the peace of mind part covered.
Sam Stein
Hey everyone, it's me, Sam Stein managing out at the bulk. I'm joined by Joe Perdicone and Will Sommer to deal with what is life changing news. A groundbreaking political development here in Washington D.C. something that's really shattered Joe on a deeply emotional level. Nick Adams, known probably to many as the Hooters loving alpha male online who's a big Trump supporter, is no longer officially the administration's ambassador nominee to Malaysia. We'll talk about the gall to nominate Nick Adams to that post in a bit. He's now the special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values. This is a made up position, but it actually is now a position at the State Department. It's real. I went and looked for it because at first I thought it was just totally a joke, but there is actually a state.gov page for Nick Adams and this title is what he is listed as as of March 17th. So he's been in this position. There's so much to unpack. Um, and I'm going to get into it too, including this insane video that Nick Adams posted of himself. But Joe, you've been the one who's written about the guy the most. Can you just sort of explain who this weird character is to the people who are uninitiated?
Joe Perdicone
In the onset of like the Trump era, Nick Adams kind of emerged as like an online figure where he would just tweet about, you know, loving rare steaks, loving going to Hooters and then all of the. It would always have like a sexual innuendo he'd say, like, nothing beats a foursome with the boys, obviously, to golf, but like, you know, playing golf with four men but like, you know, winking at something else. And everyone was like, oh, here's this character. And then he was nominated to be the United States Ambassador to Malaysia, which is an important job and Malaysia has a bunch of Muslims. So they were upset because he frequently tweeted about radical Islam and his, you know, crusade of American exceptionalism. He's from Australia, has a thick, very thick Australian accent. I am really upset because I had never looked forward to something more. Like the last time I looked forward to a hearing was when diamond and Silk testified in front of Congress, which I did get to see in person. So I was looking forward to Nick Adams testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But as we saw, when a nomination carries over into the new year, it's technically sent back to the White House and it's up to the White House to resubmit it. And they didn't do that for like all of January. And I was like, nah, that's weird. And then they formally.
Sam Stein
Well, so Nick Adams was asked about this actually by the Sydney Morning Herald in February because as Joe said, he
Joe Perdicone
was also asked about it by me many times via email that those went too bad.
Sam Stein
Maybe he'll respond now that his job is to promote tourism and exceptionalism. But he was asked about this by the Sydney Morning Herald and his quote was, I've been promoted from the role of ambassador, exclamation point. More details to come in the upcoming week. This was not a promotion. We're going to get into all the weird stuff in a little bit. But I've always sort of wondered, Will, like, he, he seemed like he's obviously a very a MAGA figure and he's gone on all these shows and he knows or pals around with a bunch of people. But like, is he actually in the mix or do the MAGA folks regard him as kind of a buffoon?
Will Sommer
I mean, I think he's kind of a immaterial player. I mean, I think he's a guy who is sort of seen as perhaps like fun to be around, I guess because he's always eating tomahawk steaks and talking about sports cars and golfing. But he's not really like an integrated right wing media figure in the way that Laura Loomer or Tucker Carlson, these Megyn Kelly, these people are now on one hand, look, he says he has fans. He calls them nads or Nick Adams disciples. So on one hand, I guess he has some amount of fans, but I think it's also a little hard to judge because I know Joe is a better Nick Adams expert than I am, but I feel like he's kind of been laying low to try to get this ambassadorship through. Like, he was learned. He was trying to be a good boy to not, you know, talk about his chest hair or whatever. He's kind of like a. Almost like a political, like a Johnny Bravo character, like this kind of real, like, kind of macho guy. But he's not, as, I would say, malevolent as a lot of right wing figures, particularly in the manosphere. You know, I think amid the rise of people like Clavicular and Andrew Tate, you know, we'd be so lucky if Nick Adams was just.
Sam Stein
Let's give a flavor. Let's just look at some of the tweets that are not malevolent, but kind of are malevolent, but are kind of not malevolent. Here's one that just talks about his appreciation. Appreciation for boobs. Appreciate a nice pair of boobs, and I'm not going to apologize for it. Here's another one two hours later about boob reduction. He says getting a boob reduction is like slapping God in the face. Okay, Joe, you would know this, but he tweets. I don't know how many times he's tweeted by Hooters, but he. He tweets a lot about Hooters. Hundreds. Here's one where he says, I go to Hooters. I eat rare steaks. I lift extremely heavy weights. I read the Bible every night. I am pursued by copious amounts of women. I am wildly successful. I have the physique of a Greek God. Not true. I have an IQ over 180. I am extremely charismatic. They hate this. There's more about him tweeting about boobs. I mean, he had a Persona. You say it was hundreds of tweets about Hooters. Is that. Is that accurate?
Joe Perdicone
So he's tweeted about hooters more than 500 times. And he stopped, though, when he received his nomination. And the thing about, like, him kind of toning down his shtick after he was nominated, you could tell he started to get antsy or maybe started to read that he was not gonna get his day in front of the Senate. When he started, like, ticking back up again and started, like, leaning back into the macho stuff. Him losing his nomination, too, is like, that doesn't happen. That is not normal. Like, they confirmed herschel Walker before they.
Sam Stein
Well, you know what else is not normal though? Nominating someone like Nick Adams.
Joe Perdicone
Well, no, but I mean, clearly someone in the Senate on the Republican side probably said this isn't going to happen. This hearing will be a mess. There will be too much opposition just based on the gross things he's posted. And when that happens, probably behind the scenes it's communicated that this isn't happening. So he received his promotion, which no longer gives you a lifelong title of ambassador and doesn't affect any policy. So I guess that's a promotion.
Sam Stein
When we started Bulwark Takes, it seemed like we had to figure out all our own scripts, the setup, even the filming schedule. When you're starting off with something new, it seems like your to do list keeps growing every day with new tasks. And that list can easily begin to overrun your life. Finding the right tool that not only helps you out, but simplifies everything can be such a game changer. And for millions of businesses, that tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all E commerce in the United States. From household names like, I don't know, the Bulwark to brands just getting started out. Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and more. And what if you get stuck? Well, Shopify is always around to share advice with their award winning 24. 7 customer support. Shopify helps you tackle all these important tasks in one place from inventory to payments to analytics and much more. There's no need to save multiple websites or to try and figure out what platform is hosting the tool that you need. Everything is all in one place making your life easier and your business operations smoother. So start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com bulwarktakes go to shopify.com bulwarktAkes that's shopify.com bulldog let's go through the bio that's listed on the website because he this is the actual State Department website and I was reading this this morning and I was just chuckling along. It says Nick Adams is a political and policy author, thought leader and educator. I don't know what the education part is. President Trump appoint him to the board of Trustees for the Woodrow Wilson center in the Smithsonian Institution for a six year tomb. I did not know that Will. Did you know that?
Will Sommer
I did know that. Yes. You Know, this is a guy who, despite everything, has really been kind of becoming a D.C. foreign policy wonk.
Sam Stein
Okay. Okay. He says he is the director of the Texas and Florida based foundation of Liberty and American Greatness. That's true. A non profit, they said. He also runs one A Warriors, an organization dedicated to codifying the civil rights of Americans who honorably exercise as their peaceful First Amendment rights. All right, here we go. Mr. Adams is an accomplished author, freelance political analyst, and independent political commentator working in the United States. He authors a thrice weekly policy analysis newsletter. This is true. I didn't know this. Are you on a substack? Are either of you on a substack? Recipient lists.
Joe Perdicone
I'm a subscriber. You are a free subscriber?
Sam Stein
Yeah. Do you read these?
Joe Perdicone
On occasion. It's just kind of like typical MAGA stuff, like Trump's. Trump's Great State of the Union. No one's ever delivered such a Great State of the Union. It's like, it's pretty lame stuff. The real actions, like on his Twitter
Sam Stein
page, I went through some of the substacks. One was bring the viva back to Vegas. The other one was this Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for that. President Trump is making movies great again. That was about the rush hour, like, you know, sequel that they're gonna do. And then he said how my book became part of American and world history. And he labels himself the president's favorite author is this. Being the President's favorite author has been the honor of a lifetime.
Will Sommer
That was an interesting one to me that came up because he wrote this book about Churchill. And when Bob Woodward was visiting the White House to interview Trump for a book, Trump essentially says, well, I really like this book. Maybe you should consider getting a little inspiration from Nick Adams here. Bob Woodward. And so maybe. I don't know if Woodward did. I don't know if we saw that play out in his book, but interesting nonetheless.
Joe Perdicone
He's got that new book coming out. There might be some scenes from Hooters in the new Woodward.
Sam Stein
That was Woodward's. That was Woodward's big secret. Using Hooters as a place to meet sources. All right, I'll keep going for a little bit here. He's been a television radio commentator. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mr. Adams work promoting American exceptionalism has seen him recognized by governors across the country. And he has been awarded honorary status. Honorary status in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, and presented commendations in Nevada, Nevada, Missouri, and Arizona. This is on a state department website. Okay. We looked into this A little bit. Okay. The honorary status that he gets are just like online applications you can fill out to ask for nominations to get honorary titles. Like, he received an honorary Kentucky colonel title in 2017. He did get in 2013. Rick Perry did honor him in a resolution for his book American Boomerang. That was interesting. He did receive the Order of the Civil Crescent, which is South Carolina's top award for volunteer and community service in this state. And he received the Sagamore of the Wabash, I don't even know what the hell that is. Award by Governor Mike Braun in Indiana in 2025. Needless to say, I think he's inflating his resume a little bit on. On the State Department website, but maybe you guys have honorary titles.
Will Sommer
Well, I'm intrigued. If you can just pick up a colonel one, I might as well, I guess. I mean, it sounds colonels.
Sam Stein
It is truly.
Howie Mandel / Ryan Seacrest
I think we should.
Will Sommer
It is truly crazy. This guy was nominated to be ambassador to Malaysia, which is like a real country, you know, and like an important country for the US Relations. Joe, do you have a sense of what the opposition was? I guess we don't know, like, you know, beyond maybe these protests in Malaysia, but beyond what it would have been like in the Senate.
Joe Perdicone
Early on when he was nominated, there were a lot of people who were like, I don't know anything about him other than his tweets. The only senators who I know had met him in person were Ted Cruz took a photo with him like a decade ago that I'd found. So can't blame him for not knowing or remembering Rick Scott. He had met and, you know, had kind of no comment on it, as usual. But the. The opposition, that it was just like his. The combination of his crazy tweets, his crazy Persona, genuine lack of experience, because, like, there's not, like, if there's someone really controversial or like weird or super right wing or whatever, but they have at least like some real relevant experience in, like, Asia Pacific policy. Like, there's a lot of those people who worked at the Heritage foundation or whatever. He's not one of those guys. And so all of that combined the fact that his confirmation hearing, which is mandatory to receive nomination, would have. Would have been just a total mess. It would have been him stand by my huda's tweets. And, like, Democrats would have had a blast. I would have had a blast watching it. And I know they probably just decided it wasn't worth it and they had to.
Sam Stein
I feel like they should just do it for the hell of it. Like we'll, we'll establish that he, even if he gets the votes, he's not going to serve but just have the theater. So for some reason, even though this is a week old, that he's now in this made up position at the State Department. It broke today and he put out a video today. He made a major announcement today where he, he was grateful for his appointment. Then he put out a video on his Twitter account. Nick Adams in USA. And it's a video, 16 minute video called the Nick Adams Story. So he made a video of his own story. What I love about this is that in the video he basically concedes that this whole alpha male profile is as a shtick, which everyone sort of assumed, but it was, it seemed possible enough that people were confused. This guy, three year Letterman who makes fun of people online for a living in a very artful way, retweeted the, the video saying I wept tears of patriotism watching this. Nick Adams retweeted three year Letterman. So I don't know if he's in on the joke or not, but I want to play a few clips from this video. So you guys, I know you haven't seen, I watched it. I just gives the viewers a sense of how ridiculous this human being is. Let's just play a full mashup of some of the best parts from the video.
Narrator / Voiceover
Getting good grades came easy to him. He had a way with words. A man born for the stage, Nick was a unique breed. A top student who chose to sit in the back with his friends rather than his intellectual equals. Nick would be targeted by the media, political enemies and even betrayed by those in his own party. He would end up being marginalized, blackballed, restricted and virtually unemployable. What is creative and original to the pioneering spirit is crazy to the parochial mind. The television networks quickly worked out he was tailor made for them. And the hits came thick and fast. Nick was smart, quick and funny. And the accent didn't hurt either.
Sam Stein
What do you guys make of that? The, the best part is unique breed. A top student who chose to sit in the back with his friends and not as intellectual equals. Unbelievable.
Will Sommer
Not too much of a snob to. He befriended the dummies as well.
Joe Perdicone
Yeah, he has like a real sense of humor though in a way that like I don't think a lot of the like, especially like the other talking heads, they don't have like Scott Jennings doesn't have that level of sense of humor on TV the way Nick Adams does.
Sam Stein
So you know, he's in on the joke. Obviously, that's why he's retreating through your Letterman about his stupid movie. But I just thought, what is creative and original to the pioneering spirit is crazy to the parochial mind. Like, he clearly was, you know, putting it on thick there. Any final thoughts for our dear friend Nick? I think he's going to excel, honestly. Do we think he will ever hold
Will Sommer
a single event in this role? Or you don't think they're just putting him on ice? They're saying, all right, thanks a lot, buddy. You know, go hit the Tomahawk stakes to win the wing eating.
Sam Stein
My question is this, and maybe Joe knows this. Does he have money from somewhere? Because, like, this is a 16 minute video. Someone had to pay for it. It was narrated. It was like, you know, there's some editing involved in, you know, a lot of video footage in there. Like, what's he doing? What is his actual income? He writes all these books, but they can't possibly sell. So my theory, to answer your question, Will, is like, he'll throw parties. They might. It might come from his own pocket, right, where he's just, like, doing that. But he's gonna throw some parties.
Joe Perdicone
And the. So the World cup is coming up. He's of Greek heritage, even though he's Australian. Greece did not make the World Cup. Australia did make the World Cup. Obviously America's made it because they're the host country. Lucky for them. So he'll get to, like, celebrate. I think with some of those countries. He'll probably host them in certain ways, maybe. Or he'll just, you know, go on tv. That's what he's best at.
Sam Stein
I'm definitely foreseeing a few Hooters World cup parties with dignitaries in the future. We'll golf with the boys.
Will Sommer
Foursomes with the boys.
Sam Stein
Foursomes with boys. All right, look, Nick Adams, if you're watching this, congratulations on your appointment to special envoy, special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values. We look forward to your awesome parties. If you do want to come on the Bulwark and talk about it, we would love to have you on. It would be a pleasure, an honor, honestly, to be part of the Nick Adams story. Will and Joe, thanks for doing this, guys. I know this is heart wrenching for you, Joe. Like, heart wrenching. And I don't want to downplay how emotionally devastating this drown my sorrows at Hooters. All that content that you were planning on creating, and it's just gone. But I appreciate the work you've put in. For those who have watched, thanks for doing that. As always, subscribe to the Bulwark where you get ridiculous videos like this. Talk to you soon.
Howie Mandel / Ryan Seacrest
The Global Gaming League is presented by Atlas Earth, the fun cashback app. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my How We Do It Gaming team take on Gilly The King Wallow 267's million dollars gaming in an epic Global Gaming League video game showdown. Plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match right now@globalgamingleague.com that's globalgamingleague.com in partnership with Level Up Expo. It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to chumbacasino.com it's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumba casino has over 100 online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus now@chumbacasino.com sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary.
Narrator / Voiceover
VGW Group Void we're prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply.
Sam Stein
Hey, it's Cole Swindell. And when I spend 200 days a year rolling down the highway the bus can start to feel smaller than a guitar case. Everyone wonders how I stay chill while the hours crawl by. Truth is one good luck spin on Chumba and suddenly the trip feels a whole lot shorter. Finding your space even when there isn't much to spare. Need some chill? Let's Chumba.
Howie Mandel / Ryan Seacrest
No purchase necessary.
Sam Stein
VGW Group Void were prohibited by law
Howie Mandel / Ryan Seacrest
21/ TNC supply sponsored by Chumba Casino.
Date: March 25, 2026
Hosts: Sam Stein, Joe Perdicone, Will Sommer
This episode dissects the bizarre saga of Nick Adams—a flamboyant online personality known for his MAGA-fueled, Hooters-obsessed, and overtly macho persona—who was initially nominated by the Trump administration as ambassador to Malaysia, only to have his nomination quietly withdrawn. Instead, Adams was given a newly invented State Department post: "Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and Values." Sam Stein, Joe Perdicone, and Will Sommer unpack Adams’ rise, persona, and what his appointment says about the current state of political spectacle.
Online Persona:
Joe describes Adams’ rise during the Trump era as an "online figure" who brazenly tweeted about loving rare steaks, Hooters, golf, and American exceptionalism—all with tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo.
Controversial Nominee:
The nomination to Malaysia alarmed many due to Adams’ repeated posts denigrating “radical Islam” and his lack of diplomatic credentials. Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, was especially irked by his past rhetoric.
Obsession with Boobs and Hooters:
The hosts read some of Adams' most outlandish tweets:
Sheer Volume:
Joe reveals Adams tweeted about Hooters "more than 500 times." He briefly toned it down post-nomination but ramped up the “macho stuff” as his chances faded. [06:26]
Why He Was Pulled:
The Senate, even on the Republican side, signaled the nomination was “a mess” given Adams’ “gross” posts and lack of qualifications.
“Promotion” to Special Envoy:
Adams publicly claimed his withdrawal as a “promotion,” now holding a somewhat inconsequential State Department position, devoid of ambassadorial power or influence. [07:05–07:34]
State Department Bio:
The team reads—and laughs over—Adams’ official online biography, which touts him as an “author, thought leader and educator” and lists honorary awards (many are titles he applied for online, like Kentucky Colonel).
State Honors:
“He received the Sagamore of the Wabash, I don’t even know what the hell that is.” — Sam Stein [12:18]
“If you can just pick up a colonel one, I might as well, I guess.” — Will Sommer [12:41]
The Viral Video:
Nick Adams released a 16-minute self-produced video, "The Nick Adams Story," on Twitter.
Sample Narration:
“Nick was a unique breed. A top student who chose to sit in the back with his friends rather than his intellectual equals…Nick would be targeted by the media, political enemies, and even betrayed by those in his own party…He would end up being marginalized, blackballed, restricted, and virtually unemployable." — Voiceover [15:36]
Hosts’ Reactions:
“Not too much of a snob to... He befriended the dummies as well.” — Will Sommer [16:34]
The panel muses that Adams is entirely “in on the joke.” Joe observes Adams “has like a real sense of humor,” more self-aware than many on the right. [16:37]
Expectations for the Role:
Speculation arises over whether Adams will ever "hold a single event" or just throw parties—potentially at Hooters, in line with his persona.
Funding Mystery:
Sam wonders where Adams’ income comes from (“this is a 16 minute video…Someone had to pay for it”), theorizing he might self-fund his publicity stunts and parties. [17:23]
With characteristic Bulwark snark, the team skewers both the absurdity and the studied self-parody of Nick Adams’ public career. The episode is a portrait of the spectacle-driven nature of modern Trumpworld appointments, blending real influence with a sheen of farce, and leaves listeners with a sense of bemused incredulity—and a hint that Nick Adams knows exactly what he’s doing.
For fans of political theater, social media spectacle, and incisive commentary, this episode provides both laughter and a clear-eyed look at the blurring of performance and governance in American politics.