It was supposed to be a routine confirmation hearing — but what unfolded on Capitol Hill was anything but. 

Dr. Anjani Sinha, President Trump’s nominee to be the next US Ambassador to Singapore, faced a grilling that exposed not just gaps in preparation, but deeper questions about competence, credibility, and the cost of political loyalty.

From fumbling trade figures to blank stares on ASEAN policy, the hearing left senators — and observers — stunned. 

So the question now is: Was this just a bad performance, or a symptom of something much bigger in America’s diplomatic playbook?

What happens now to Dr Sinha? Does he still have a chance to be confirmed as the next ambassador to Singapore?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Jessica Genauer, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University, to find out more.