Washington, October 6 (RHC)-- U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a major staff cut in the National Security Council (NSC) as an imminent impeachment looms on the horizon and his number of 'friends' begins to dwindle.

Trump ordered the staff of NSC be significantly reduced as part of his abortive efforts to neutralize the impeachment inquiry triggered by a whistleblower complaint involving the NSC, according to media report.

The whistleblower complaint highlighted Trump’s phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.  The unidentified whistleblower, who is said to be a spy for the U.S. intelligence apparatus, complained Trump had unlawfully used his office to pressure Zelensky to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

The whistleblower revealed NSC officials had tried to keep the phone call between Trump and Zelensky under wraps by storing it in a secret computer system with highly restricted access, media reported.

In the phone call, Trump repeatedly asked Zelenskiy to investigate his Democratic rival, an unprecedented move that prompted the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to launch the impeachment inquiry.  Reports say that Trump had apparently subscribed to claims that the anonymous whistleblower was a member of the NSC.

The whistleblower worked on the NSC’s Ukraine desk under former President Barack Obama, according to reports.