Trump demands testimony from whistleblower

President Trump on Monday demanded that the anonymous whistleblower who raised an alarm about his contacts with Ukraine testify.

Trump said it was “not acceptable” for the whistleblower to answer written questions from Republican lawmakers in connection with the House impeachment inquiry, as his attorneys communicated was on the table on Sunday. And he claimed without evidence that the whistleblower gave “false information.”

The president also referenced revelations that the whistleblower contacted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) committee for guidance before filing the complaint, calling the top Democrat “corrupt.”

“The Whistleblower gave false information & dealt with corrupt politician Schiff. He must be brought forward to testify,” Trump tweeted Monday morning.

“Written answers not acceptable! Where is the 2nd Whistleblower? He disappeared after I released the transcript. Does he even exist? Where is the informant? Con!”

Trump has long accused the whistleblower of providing a misleading account of his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and highlighted that the complaint relied on second-hand accounts of other people.

According to a White House rough transcript of the call, Trump asked Zelensky to look into unsubstantiated allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine.

The whistleblower, whose identity remains unknown and who is subject to protections under federal law, alleged that Trump was using his official position to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election, a claim that Trump has rejected. The complaint included details that matched up with the official transcript of the call.