Compares whistleblower's source to a spy, invokes how spies and treason were once handled

Speaking to staff of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, Trump said he wanted to know who gave the Ukraine whistleblower information because that person was "close to a spy," then invoked how such matters were handled "in the old days when we were smart" regarding "spies and treason." The remarks, captured on audio obtained by the Los Angeles Times, came the same day the whistleblower complaint was released publicly. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff characterized the comments as "a reprehensible invitation to violence against witnesses." Critics interpreted the historical reference as an allusion to the execution of spies. The statement is documented as an instance of witness-directed intimidation rather than a legal accusation.

"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" Quote verified against source