We have been appalled so often the word has long lost its punch, but what Donald Trump said this afternoon in the Oval Office is both appalling and chilling.
When asked by a reporter if he knew the identity of the whistleblower, Trump said, “no, but we’re trying to find out.” He said it almost as an aside and then launched again into his “perfect” conversation with the president of Ukraine.
But just think about that for a second. Think what that means to the whistleblower, or to any potential whistleblower.
What will Trump do if and when he finds out? This is a person who was brave enough to file a complaint against Trump, knowing, hoping, that federal whistleblower laws would protect him/her. Now they find out the president, with the full weight of the government behind him, is trying to determine this person’s identity.
Moments after Trump made the remark, the whistleblower’s attorney immediately recognized its significance.
