Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday blasted Republicans for wanting the Ukranian whistleblower's name to be released.
"One other point, which I'd make about the whistleblower: the calls to make the whistleblower's identity are despicable," Schumer said. He was clearly referencing Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) appearance at a Trump rally in Lexington, Kentucky on Monday night, at which point he called on the mainstream media to print the whistleblower's name.
"We also now know the name of the whistleblower. The whistleblower needs to come before Congress as a material witness because he worked for Joe Biden at the same time Hunter Biden was getting money from corrupt oligarchs," Paul said during the rally. "I say tonight to the media: do your job and print his name!"
Schumer adamantly disagreed with Paul, saying bipartisan legislation was passed to protect a whistleblower's identity.
"The whole purpose of the whistleblower law was to protect people when they had the courage to come forward," Schumer said. "This whistleblower was obviously coming forward because he was so concerned where President Trump was leading America. And every single Republican Senator, including the Republican Leader [Mitch McConnell] ought to denounce this."
According to Schumer, the whistleblower's identity has "nothing to do with the status of impeachment or the status of the trial."
While the Minority Leader chided Republican members of Congress for wanting to know the whistleblower's identity, Schumer made it clear he himself would like to know who the person is.
"Whistleblowers should be protected. Period. Period. And no one knows who he is and if you do, you should let me know," he said.
Schumer: “Despicable” calling for whistleblower name to be released.
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 5, 2019
Adds: “No one knows who he is and if you do you should let me know." pic.twitter.com/YB7bZcliA9
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