Nov 7, 2019

Donald Trump Jr. defends sharing whistleblower's alleged identity

Orion Rummler

Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr. defended publicly sharing the Ukraine whistleblower's alleged identity on ABC's "The View" Thursday, and he said Joe Biden "doesn't know what state he's in" when a host commented on how President Trump views Biden as a leading 2020 competitor.

Why it matters: The president has said the whistleblower's identity "must" be determined after details of the complaint have been examined in an impeachment inquiry. House impeachment committee members have accused Trump of withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate the Bidens.

On the whistleblower:
  • Trump Jr. defended himself against criticism for tweeting the whistleblower's alleged identity, which has been promoted among some media outlets, saying he has no control over whether an outlet decides to put the whistleblower's name in an article headline.
On who should run against President Trump in 2020:
  • Trump Jr: "It doesn't matter that much to me. ... I do spend a lot of time in middle America, I spend a lot of time there and honestly, people are happy."
  • Joy Behar prodded Trump Jr. on how the president views Biden as a 2020 competitor, saying Trump "seems to be petrified of Joe Biden." Trump Jr. retorted by saying "Joe Biden doesn't know what state he's in 50% of the time."

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Orion Rummler, Kia Kokalitcheva

Facebook, YouTube block whistleblower's alleged identity

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Facebook and YouTube are blocking references to the alleged identity of the Ukraine whistleblower, the Washington Post reports.

Driving the news: Donald Trump Jr. shared the whistleblower's supposed name on Twitter. President Trump has said the whistleblower's identity "must" be determined after details of their complaint have been examined in an impeachment inquiry.

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Vindman refuses to answer questions amid fear of outing whistleblower

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman faced a round of questioning from House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) over people with whom he discussed the July 25 call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Why it matters: After Vindman said he discussed the call — as a part of his position on the National Security Council — with State Department official George Kent and an unnamed intelligence official, the questioning devolved into a squabble over the impeachment inquiry's rules protecting the identity of the whistleblower.

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Ivanka Trump: Ukraine whistleblower's identity is "not particularly relevant"

Ivanka Trump is interviewed by the AP's Darlene Superville in Rabat, Morocco. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Ivanka Trump told the AP Friday that the Ukraine whistleblower's identity is "not particularly relevant" to the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Trump.

Why it matters: The statement from the president's daughter and adviser is in stark contrast to both her father, who has called on the whistleblower to come forward, and her brother, Donald Trump Jr., who earlier this week tweeted the alleged name of the whistleblower that has been circulating among right-wing media outlets.

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