Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the alleged name of the Ukraine whistleblower on the Senate floor as senators debated President Trump's impeachment on Tuesday.
The state of play: Paul read aloud his question that named the alleged whistleblower — and had an accompanying poster that also included the name — which Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read during the impeachment trial last week.
- The Kentucky senator has been at the forefront of the push to name the whistleblower for months — a fight that triggered a schism between stalwart Trump allies and moderates in the GOP.
What he's saying: Paul defended his decision to CNN's Manu Raju, arguing that he did not single out the alleged whistleblower with his floor speech: "I would say the chief justice did that. By not allowing the question, he's sort of confirming to the public who it is. I have no idea who it is."
- "I think it's very important that we know if there was a concerted government plot to bring the president down by a lot of employees," he added.
Go deeper: The GOP's war over naming the Ukraine whistleblower
