There are two good grounds for a Cabinet bloodbath. One, kick out the embarrassments. That includes Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who was accused of misusing taxpayer money on a trip to Europe, or Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who apparently purchased (then canceled) a dining set that cost $31,000 for his work office. Conservatives should know better. The public wants to see its politicians eat off paper plates.

Second, kick out the people who undermine the boss. It’s one thing to have a Cabinet that reflects a diversity of opinion, such as Lincoln’s famous team of rivals. But when the President has a clear agenda that requires a radical departure from the status quo, he cannot have officials contradict it. Tillerson went, we speculate, because he wanted to save the Iran nuclear deal and have a friendlier relationship with China.