Sondland places luggage into wrong airport bin after testimony: ‘Whole day has been like this’

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland on Wednesday placed his luggage into the wrong bin while boarding a flight after his testimony on Capitol Hill, CNN reports.

A passenger aboard the plane at the time, Karen-Marie Hyland, told CNN that shortly after realizing his mistake, the ambassador commented: “My whole day has been like this.”

Gordon Sondland put his luggage in the wrong overhead bin, then said “my whole day has been like this” https://t.co/kjw0DAiC9n pic.twitter.com/gPi36EO6ir

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 21, 2019

The flight was reportedly bound for Brussels, where the ambassador has a home. 

According to The Washington Post, the possibility of whether or not the ambassador would make the flight after leaving his testimony during rush hour was quite the topic on Twitter earlier in the day.

The Post’s Matt Viser tweeted that the only flight heading out of the D.C. international airport bound for Brussels on Wednesday was scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

There’s one DC area flight to Brussels this afternoon, and it leaves out of Dulles at 5:50pm. pic.twitter.com/s3WPTL2Ehu

— Matt Viser (@mviser) November 20, 2019

As the hearing for Sondland’s testimony concluded around 4 p.m., the idea as to whether the ambassador would make the trip from Capitol Hill to the airport in time was up for heated debate, given the District’s notorious reputation for rush-hour traffic. 

According to the Post, the social chatter around whether or not he would arrive in time even prompted the airport to trend on Twitter.

It looks like Schiff’s closing statement may lead Sondland to miss his flight…

30 minute drive to Dulles, at least, who knows how long with rush-hour.

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 20, 2019

Does anyone else have second-hand anxiety knowing that Sondland is about to get on 66 right at the start of rush hour in an attempt to make a 5:50 flight at Dulles.

— Natalie Johnson (@nataliejohnsonn) November 20, 2019

Sondland’s driver will need to speed w/GPS help to make that flight

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) November 20, 2019

I really hope CNN will have a helicopter following Sondland’s journey to Dulles with a countdown clock in the corner. https://t.co/6rvWYX7Ary

— Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64) November 20, 2019