What the world needs now is comic relief. This news of the weird story comes from an unlikely place: The State Department.

A Trump administration official who’s in charge of protocol decisions on foreign soil resigned abruptly just before President Trump’s visit to Japan, Bloomberg News reported.

State Department Chief of Protocol Sean Lawler’s resignation comes amid accusations that he intimidated employees and carried a whip around the office, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The department’s inspector general may open a probe into the accusations, according to Bloomberg.

President Trump likely won’t bat an eye over the resignation. According to the people who spoke to Bloomberg, Trump doesn’t like Lawler and has “repeatedly asked why he still worked at the White House,” in Bloomberg’s words.

Lawler’s role is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and his responsibilities are considered  similar to those of an ambassador.

So, the protocol  honcho carried a whip around the office. I wonder if he wore bondage regalia or a cowboy outfit a la Lash LaRue?

Holy pulp fiction lagniappe, Batman.

This undiplomatic story gives an entirely meaning to the term Foggy Bottom. Ouch.

I whipped through a Ranker list of songs with whip in the title and decided to keep it in the Rolling Stones family: