Since Donald Trump got here again to the White Home, Washington has began to resemble St PETERsburg—not the Russian metropolis, however a residing monument to the Peter Precept. For the uninitiated, the Peter Precept states that in any hierarchy, folks are inclined to rise to their stage of incompetence. Below Trump 2.0, that seems to be the first qualification for public workplace. Loyalty? Optionally available. Experience? Disqualifying. However even on this sea of spectacular underperformance, one latest Senate listening to managed to set a brand new low: the affirmation listening to of Dr Anjani Sinha, nominee for US Ambassador to Singapore.What was anticipated to be a routine look earlier than the Senate Overseas Relations Committee on July 9 rapidly was a masterclass in diplomatic unpreparedness. Dr Sinha, a retired orthopaedic surgeon and longtime Trump acquaintance, floundered as Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth subjected him to a barrage of primary questions on commerce, defence, and Southeast Asian diplomacy—none of which he appeared prepared for.“This isn’t a job you’ll be able to simply decide up on a whim, or as a result of Singapore is a good place to dwell,” Duckworth warned, moments earlier than dissecting his speaking factors with surgical precision. “I simply really feel that you’re not taking this severely.”
Off by Billions
Requested to state the dimensions of the US commerce surplus with Singapore in 2024, Dr Sinha confidently stated US$18 billion. The precise determine? US$2.8 billion. “You’re off by an enormous issue,” Duckworth stated bluntly.His rationalization of Trump’s sudden tariff threats—as much as 25% on imports from a long-time commerce associate with a free commerce settlement since 2004—didn’t go over nicely both. “The President is resetting the commerce numbers,” he replied, providing no rationale for the way a surplus justifies sanctions.
Geography, Defence and Homework Gaps
Issues solely obtained worse when Duckworth requested Sinha when Singapore would subsequent chair Asean. He couldn’t reply. “2027,” she equipped. When requested to call a precedence situation for Singapore as chair, he cited “defence and commerce.” “Too broad,” she shot again.Requested how he would strengthen US-Singapore navy cooperation, Sinha talked about joint workout routines—once more too obscure for Duckworth. “Title a selected facility,” she demanded. He couldn’t.“You need to be ambassador to Singapore, some of the essential pals we’ve within the Indo-Pacific… and also you’ve not even completed your homework,” she stated, visibly pissed off. “You suppose you’re going to dwell a pleasant life in Singapore, however what we want is somebody who’s going to truly do the work.”
Physician vs Physician? Not Fairly.
Republican senators tried to easy issues over. Lindsey Graham described Sinha as a “gifted entrepreneur.” Senator Pete Ricketts, contemporary from the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, urged Sinha to bond with Overseas Minister Vivian Balakrishnan over their shared medical background.Sinha, keen to attach, replied: “He grew to become an eye fixed surgeon, I grew to become an orthopaedic surgeon. His spouse is a neurologist, mine an anaesthesiologist. His children are legal professionals—ours are legal professionals and docs.”There was only one downside: Vivian Balakrishnan’s spouse isn’t a neurologist. She isn’t even a health care provider. She’s an educator and founding father of a kids’s charity. The element was not solely incorrect however emblematic of a deeper situation: a nominee who appeared to have prepped for a cocktail party, not a diplomatic put up.
St PETERsburg, USA
Dr Sinha’s efficiency could be comical if it weren’t according to the broader dysfunction of Trump’s second time period. A Homeland Safety Secretary who shot her personal canine. A Defence Secretary who leaked categorized plans on Sign. A Nationwide Safety Adviser who added journalists to chats about bombing Yemen. A Vice President who asks overseas leaders to say “thanks” and rivals Demise in his unpopularity. In Trump’s Washington, incompetence isn’t unintended—it’s structural.The Peter Precept isn’t simply concept anymore. It’s the governing philosophy of the world’s strongest democracy. And Sinha’s nomination is yet one more brick in a crumbling edifice the place private loyalty and vibes matter greater than preparation or coverage.Who Is Anjani Sinha?Born in India and immigrated to the US in 1977, Dr Anjani Sinha made his title—and fortune—as a sports activities medication specialist and medical entrepreneur on Lengthy Island. Trump nominated him on March 11 in a quick Fact Social put up, referring to him as “Dr Anji Sinha” and hailing him as a “extremely revered entrepreneur with an unbelievable household.”His spouse, Dr Kiki Sinha, a retired NYU anaesthesiologist, and their son have been current on the listening to. His daughter, a lawyer in Norway, watched the proceedings on-line.In his opening assertion, Sinha described Singapore as “a key strategic associate and buddy within the Indo-Pacific,” and promised to increase defence ties, tech cooperation, and people-to-people contact. The specifics, nonetheless, have been scarce.
What Occurs Now?
As of July 27, 2025, Dr Anjani Sinha has not but been confirmed as ambassador to Singapore. His nomination was reported favorably by the Senate Overseas Relations Committee on July 16 and is at the moment on the Senate Govt Calendar (No. 288), awaiting a full flooring vote. With Republicans holding 53 of 100 Senate seats, his affirmation stays probably except new objections emerge.If confirmed, Sinha will likely be dispatched to a rustic that has turn out to be one of many United States’ most essential Indo-Pacific companions—economically, militarily, and strategically. Whether or not he can signify that relationship with competence is a query that now hangs over the chamber—and the area.
