Trump: "We're trying to find out" identity of whistleblower

Asked whether he knew the identity of the Ukraine whistleblower, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday that "we're trying to find out" before again arguing that his July telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "perfect."

Why it matters: The whistleblower's attorney Andrew Bakaj tweeted moments after Trump's comments that his client is "entitled to anonymity. Law and policy support this and the individual is not to be retaliated against. Doing so is a violation of federal law."

• On Saturday, Bakaj wrote to the chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and the acting director of national intelligence about "serious concerns we have regarding our client's safety."
• Bakaj specifically cited comments from a private event in which Trump was caught on tape comparing the whistleblower to a "spy" and suggesting that the U.S. used to handle "spies and treason ... a little differently than we do now."

Go deeper:

• Misleading Trump tweet claims Ukraine whistleblower complaint "not holding up"
• Trump demands to meet whistleblower and accuses Adam Schiff of "treason"
• Schiff says House Intel has reached agreement for whistleblower testimony