Donald Trump was the Republican Party outsider in 2016.

The Pentagon has appointed two close political allies of President Donald Trump to a defense advisory board, continuing a purge of the Defense Department in the waning weeks of the Trump administration. The acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, said in a written statement Friday that nine members of the Defense Business Board had been replaced with the appointment of 11 new members. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has appointed two close allies of President Donald Trump, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, to a defense advisory board, continuing a post-election purge in the final weeks of the administration. The Miller statement initially said the nine individuals removed from the board had been serving in ”expired positions," implying they were overdue to leave. But later the Pentagon amended the statement to say some board members had been “terminated.” It gave no reason for the firings.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham denied that an impeachment response team is in the works. Lewandowski, who was fired midway through Trump's campaign, remains close to the President and is a regularly guest aboard Air Force One and at the White House. The response team would be to help spearhead strategy and messaging as the House of Representatives' impeachment probe heats up. The role could also exist outside the White House, and many of the details of the arrangement are still unclear. The White House legal team has expressed confidence in facing such a probe, but the rest of ranks of the White House are widely seen as depleted.