This whistleblower, however, did not have “firsthand knowledge” of a conversation between Trump and Zelensky, Fox News reported, citing an unnamed source claimed to be familiar with the matter.
According to the media report, typically, multiple US officials are on such calls with the US president, but this would indicate the whistleblower is not one of those people. It is unclear, however, if the individual read a transcript of the call, heard about it in conversation, or learned of it another way, Fox News said.
“@FoxNews bombshell information reports that the so-called Whistleblower did not have firsthand knowledge of that phone conversation with Ukraine’s President.” Wow! @HARRISFAULKNER It is all a Democrat/Adam Schiff Scam! Doing this for 3 years now, and found NOTHING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2019
Last week, US media reported citing a "whistleblower’s complaint" that during a July phone call with Zelensky, Trump urged the Ukrainian leader several times to cooperate with a corruption probe into former US Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealings with a Ukraine gas company.
US Democrats have been pursuing reports that Trump allegedly pressured Zelensky to investigate a Biden family business in Ukraine, reviving calls for impeachment. Trump denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said he did not threaten to withhold security assistance to Ukraine if it did not investigate an alleged corruption case involving the Biden family. Trump also said he may consider authorizing the release of the transcript of the phone conversation he had with Zelensky in July.
In 2016, Biden reportedly threatened to withhold $1 billion in US loan guarantees if Kiev did not remove the prosecutor who had been investigating his son.
According to CNN, a former personal lawyer to Trump, Rudy Giuliani, met with Ukrainian officials to discuss Biden's alleged involvement in the removal of a top Ukrainian prosecutor.
Trump is expected to meet with Zelensky later this week in New York.
