Trump Suggests Whistleblower Should Be Executed

The New York Times reports:

President Trump on Thursday morning told a crowd of staff from the United States Mission to the United Nations that he wants to know who provided information to a whistle-blower about his phone call with the president of Ukraine, saying that whoever did so was “close to a spy” and that “in the old days,” spies were dealt with differently.

The remark stunned people in the audience, according to a person briefed on what took place, who had notes of what the president said.

Mr. Trump made the statement several minutes into his remarks before the group of about 50 people at the event intended to honor the United States Mission. At the outset, he condemned the former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s role in Ukraine at a time when his son Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

NEW: Trump rips the whistle-blower at a private meeting with UN staff: “They’re almost a spy.”

“Who gave the whistle-blower the information? Because that’s close to a spy.”https://t.co/8OLSxoRbzD

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 26, 2019

Trump: “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart? Right? The spies and treason, we used to handle it a little differently than we do now.” https://t.co/8OLSxoRbzD

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) September 26, 2019

We also know Trump is worried because he’s threatening to execute “spies.” https://t.co/3PBmvH1J1j

— Colin Kahl (@ColinKahl) September 26, 2019

The whistle blower who Trump is threatening to imprison and execute has more courage in her/his little finger than Mattis, Coats, McMaster and Tillerson combined.

— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) September 26, 2019