That’s why making so many personnel announcements at one time begs the question of whether there’s the capacity to give each one the time and attention it needs to ensure that there isn’t any empty space ripe for exploitation. It’s entirely unclear whether this need for speed will allow White House personnel to give the president a list of qualified nominees (query whether the president would read it) that can actually get confirmed and then of course handle the actual work ahead of them. Doing it fast doesn’t mean doing it right.

That’s exactly why Putin’s probably enjoying this White House shuffle. Nominating a State Department spokesperson and former media figure to one of the most complex diplomatic posts in the country or putting a young aide into the Chief of Staff post don’t really signal a desire to put experienced professionals into powerful positions. That’s Putin’s gain because it undermines confidence in our institutions—like our mission to the UN and the White House itself—and will make us weaker internally and externally at exactly the same time.