As his father’s obsession with learning the identity of the whistleblower who’s complaint prompted the impeachment inquiry intensifies, Donald Trump Jr. promoted an attempt to name the government official.
Democrats and some Republicans have called for the whistleblower to remain anonymous, noting that the law protects whistleblowers and arguing that outing the whistleblower would endanger him.
Yet, some of Trump’s closest allies have called for the whistleblower to be exposed. And Breitbart on Wednesday published a piece noting that RealClearPolitics reported on the alleged identity individual, citing anonymous officials, and linked this official to Obama adminstration officials. Trump Jr. then tweeted out Breitbart’s story.
The whistleblower’s lawyers, Andrew Bakaj and Mark Zaid, responded Wednesday with a statement asserting that they “will not confirm or deny any name that is published or promoted by supporters of the President.”
The lawyers jabbed at Trump allies’ attempts to expose their client, saying that such efforts are driven by a “desperation to deflect from the substance of the whistleblower complaint.”
“It will not relieve the President of the need to address the substantive allegations, all of which have been substantially proven to be true,” Bakaj and Zaid said.
The White House told HuffPost reporter Yashar Ali Trump did not know in advance that his son would tweet the article, nor did any senior administration officials.
