This is nothing new.
The president is unqualified for his job. Who would expect him to appoint qualified people to work under him?
Let’s hope these professional buttheads and political grandstanders have qualified staff.
I understand rewarding financial supporters with ambassadorships. It’s been a reward program for years with Presidents of both parties.
What may be different (and I can’t provide details) is that the ambassadorships to major countries, especially those which are usually in opposition to US interests such as Russia and China have traditionally gone to State Department careerists or individuals with serious gravitas and experience in foreign affairs.
Clearly, ambassadorships to friendly countries like England and France which are considered to be plum assignments because of their culture have been made to political supporters, but they were recognized to be social and ceremonial appointments, not serious working ambassadors.
Sending a political crony and donor to countries like China or Russia is stupid and an insult.
I continue to be amused by the delicious irony of Caroline Kennedy as the Ambassador to Japan. She would not exist on this earth had the Empire of Japan’s cruiser captain been successful in running down her dad.
The U.S. has been sending out ambassadors with no more qualifications than political financial support for the president for hundreds of years.
≡≡8-O