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Exclusive: Whistleblower wrote memo after learning of Ukraine call, saying White Huse official called it 'frightening'

Immediately after learning second-hand information from a White House official about President Trump’s July 25 phone call with the president of Ukraine, the first whistleblower wrote a dramatic personal memo, saying the White House official characterized the call as “crazy” and “frightening,” Fox News has learned. In the two-page, single-spaced memo on July 26, the day after the Trump-Zelensky phone call, the whistleblower wrote that the conversation with the unnamed White House official “only lasted a few minutes, and as a result, I only received highlights.”

In contrast to a publicly released transcript of the July 25 phone call, the two-page memo used dramatic language. According to the memo, the White House official “described the (July 25th) call as ‘crazy,’ ‘frightening,’ and ‘completely lacking in substance related to national security.’” Click here for more on our top story.

In other developments in the formal Trump impeachment inquiry: The emergence of the whistleblower's memo came as sources told Fox News that Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, in testimony to House lawmakers, could not explain what accounted for the 18-day window between the July 25 call and the whistleblower's Aug. 12 complaint filing — or when exactly the whistleblower contacted a key Democrat's staff. According to the Washington Post, House Democrats are considering steps to keep the whistleblower's identity from their Republican colleagues in order to prevent a loyalist to President Trump from leaking the whistleblower's identity to the public.

In addition, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., all issued subpoenas Monday to the Pentagon and the White House Office of Management and Budget for documents related to Trump's call. And Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Monday denied rumors that he would resign amid allegations he played a role in the controversy surrounding President Trump and Ukrainian officials.

'Tucker Carlson Tonight' uncovers Bill Clinton's election-year plea to UK's Tony Blair

While Democrats have been calling for President Trump’s impeachment over his alleged soliciting of assistance from foreign countries ahead of the 2020 election, an unearthed comment from February 2000 might show stones were being thrown from glass houses. On his show Monday, Tucker Carlson discussed a transcript of a call between former President Bill Clinton and then-U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair -- the same year as the election pitting Clinton's vice president, Al Gore, against George W. Bush -- during which the ex-president asked his British counterpart for a political favor.

“You’ve heard endlessly on cable news that it is unprecedented the president would seek political gain from a conversation with a foreign leader. Well, turns out, it has happened before,” Carlson said. Click here for more on this story.

Trump defends decision to withdraw US troops from Syria amid GOP backlash

President Trump on Monday vigorously defended his decision to withdraw United States troops from northern Syria ahead of a planned invasion of the region by Turkey, even as his Republican allies in both the Senate and House vehemently criticized the move. In his first public comments since news broke early Monday of the troop withdrawal, Trump said he understood the concerns raised by his fellow Republicans, but added that it was time to fulfill his campaign promise to bring the troops home.

The GOP lawmakers, who have stood lockstep with the president on almost every other issue, have expressed concern that the withdrawal could lead to the genocide of the U.S.’s Kurdish allies and a return to power of the Islamic State in the region. Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the UN, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming were just a few of the prominent Republicans who voiced opposition to the president's decision.

Hong Kong stock exchange drops bid to buy London exchange

The Hong Kong stock exchange officially dropped its takeover bid for its London counterpart on Tuesday. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. said it was "unable to engage" with managers of the London Stock Exchange Group. The London exchange cited concerns including the Hong Kong exchange's ties to the government of the Chinese territory. The Hong Kong Exchanges made the surprise $36.6 billion offer in mid-September.

Kroger joins Walgreens, Walmart to end the sale of e-cigarette products

Kroger has become the latest grocery retailer to ban the sale of e-cigarette products in its stores. It joins Walmart and Rite Aid, which ended sales early this year. Walgreens also said it would end sales of e-cigarettes and related items. E-cigarettes, which exploded into popularity in the last few years, have suddenly come under a blitz of public scrutiny, as vaping-related illnesses have claimed at least 18 lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There’s another 1,080 probable cases across 48 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the agency noted.

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SOME PARTING WORDS

Tucker Carlson says you would think President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria would be celebrated. But all of Washington appears outraged and once again, he says, the interests of foreigners are put ahead of Americans.

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your Tuesday! We'll see you in your inbox first thing on Wednesday morning.

