U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump’s efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

First came Alexander Vindman, now reportedly Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland is out too.

Although media is reporting Vindman as “fired,” he was actually reassigned to the Pentagon. He was escorted off the White House grounds with his brother, Yegeny, who also worked for the NSC and was relieved of his NSC assignment.

NSC personnel and Ambassadors serve at the will of the president. Vindman had been scheduled to be rotated out in July. The Trump administration had previously announced that they were working on scaling back the NSC which had ballooned under Barack Obama.

Sondland, whom, like Vindman, had testified during the impeachment hearings. It was Sondland’s testimony which many Democrats and media had incorrectly claimed established a “quid pro quo” of investigations for green lighting aid. In fact, Sondland acknowledged that President Trump had never said anything about such a quid pro quo to him nor had he heard any such thing from any living person.

From Fox News:

“I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States ambassador to the European Union,” Sondland said. [….] “I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve, to Secretary Pompeo for his consistent support, and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union,” Sondland said Friday. “I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight of my career.”

A president has to be able to trust the advisers he has in the office. He can’t work with those who are leaking to undermine him or in whom he has lost faith. Sounds like he’s cleaning house.

Bet on the Democrats, though, trying to make this another issue, despite the fact that they serve at his pleasure.