Trump threats complicate negotiations for whistleblower to testify to Congress

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fists after speaking during an event at The Villages retirement community in The Villages, Florida, U.S., October 3, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's public attacks on the unidentified whistleblower at the centre of a Democratic-led impeachment inquiry are complicating negotiations for the person to testify to Congress, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Trump has suggested the whistleblower committed treason, prompting concerns among Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee that testifying could raise the risk of exposure.