'Primary interest' of impeachment inquiry is keeping whistleblower protected: Schiff

The U.S. Democratic lawmaker leading the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump said that he was committed to protecting the whistleblower whose report triggered the probe into the president.

"Our primary interest right now is making sure that person is protected. Indeed, now that there's more than one whistleblower, that they are protected," Representative Adam Schiff told CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan on Sunday (October 13).

Schiff said that efforts to keep the whistleblower safe may change if, or how, his committee attempts to interview that individual.

"I think initially, before the president started threatening the whistleblower and threatening others... yes, we were interested in having the whistleblower come forward," he said.

The complaint outlined a July 25 phone call during which Trump pressed Ukraine's president to open an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, warning the president may be soliciting foreign election interference.

A record of the call released by the White House largely confirmed details of the whistleblower's account.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and called the impeachment inquiry a witch hunt.