President Trump on Thursday was caught on tape saying the Ukraine whistleblower’s source is “close to a spy” — and suggested that they should be punished “like in the old days.”

“Basically, that person never saw the report, never saw the call, and he never saw the call,” Trump told a private gathering of US officials in Manhattan, according to audio obtained by The Los Angeles Times.

He was referring to his July 25 phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which they discussed Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

“Heard something and decided that he or she, whoever the hell it is, they’re almost a spy. I want to know who’s the person who gave the whistleblower, who’s the person who gave the whistleblower the information? Because that’s close to a spy,” Trump continued.

“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,” the president said, as laughter can be heard in the background.

In the call, according to a summary released by the White House, Trump asked Zelensky to reopen a probe into the Bidens.

The whistleblower said he hadn’t listened in on the conversation, but was given a readout and told about it by other White House officials, who were concerned that the president was using the power of his office to persuade a foreign leader to dig for dirt on a political opponent.

The revelation sparked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch an impeachment inquiry.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.