This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
US President Donald Trump has ignited a fresh controversy by demanding to meet the whistleblower at the center of the Ukraine scandal, which has led to an impeachment inquiry against him.
Trump's call for a meeting with the whistleblower comes as the Democratic-led House of Representatives continues to investigate his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, in which he urged Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, his potential 2020 White House challenger.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he was simply following the law by asking Ukraine to investigate Biden's son Hunter, who sat on the board of a gas company accused of corrupt practices.
However, Democrats have accused Trump of a 'mafia-like shakedown' aimed at damaging Biden's presidential campaign, and have launched an official impeachment inquiry against him.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted that he 'deserves to meet my accuser,' and accused top Democratic lawmaker Adam Schiff of lying to Congress about the contents of the phone call.
Trump's Republican allies have sought to turn the tables on Democrats by accusing them of trying to undermine a democratically elected government, and have branded the whistleblower as a 'saboteur.'
However, the whistleblower's lawyers have expressed concern that their client's identity will be revealed, and have called for 'appropriate resources to ensure their safety.'
As the impeachment inquiry continues, polls suggest that public support for the investigation is growing, with a new CBS survey showing 55 percent of Americans approve of the inquiry.
