FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks to reporters on his way from the Senate floor after a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The whistleblower who reported concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s president should be heard out and their identity protected,” Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This person appears to have followed the whistleblower protection laws and ought to be heard out and protected. We should always work to respect whistleblowers’ requests for confidentiality,” Grassley said. “No one should be making judgments or pronouncements without hearing from the whistleblower first and carefully following up on the facts.”