Trump threatens to declassify ‘devastating’ Mueller documents if Democrats ‘harass’ him with investigations

The newly empowered House Democrats have made it clear they intend to go after President Donald Trump and his administration in the new year — but the president says he’s ready for it. “I’m a counter-puncher,” Trump told the New York Post in a Wednesday interview.

Trump threatened to declassify documents relating to the Russia collusion investigation if the Democrats investigate him and his administration, warning that the document release would expose a Democratic conspiracy to take him down.

Trump was responding to threats from Democrats to subject him to a series of investigations when they take control of the House in January, including probes of his tax returns, business interests, and alleged collusion with Russia.

Trump threatens Dems with Russia docs

In the exclusive interview with the Post, Trump appeared confident as he anticipated that “presidential harassment” from the Democrats would force him to retaliate.

“If they go down the presidential harassment track, if they want go and harass the president and the administration, I think that would be the best thing that would happen to me. I’m a counter-puncher and I will hit them so hard they’d never been hit like that,” he said.

Trump warned that he could declassify “devastating” FISA warrant applications and documents pertaining to Robert Mueller’s probe that would expose a conspiracy between the Democratic party and the FBI and Justice Department. Trump and Republicans have long claimed that Democrats and the so-called “Deep State” conspired to keep Trump out of the White House and help Hillary Clinton win the presidency.

Trump reversed course after threatening to release the documents in September, but pressure is mounting as the Democrats are slated to gain power in the House in just a few weeks.

“I think that would help my campaign. If they want to play tough, I will do it. They will see how devastating those pages are.”

Speaking at a press conference one day after midterms earlier this month, Trump issued similar warnings that he would punch back if the Democrats tried to obstruct his administration with subpoenas. Trump said that any attacks on his administration from the Democratic House would precipitate a “war-like posture” that would force him to respond in kind.

The waiting game

House Republicans, led by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), pushed Trump in September to declassify documents that they think will show evidence of anti-Trump bias at the Justice Department, including FISA warrant applications to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Other documents that Republicans have wanted to release include memos about Bruce Ohr, the top Justice Department official with connections to Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm that provided the infamous Christopher Steele dossier that Republicans say formed a critical piece of the FISA applications to spy on Page.

Republicans have also sought text messages from top FBI officials including former director James Comey, former deputy director Andrew McCabe, and former agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. While Republicans think declassifying the files will expose a plot to take down Trump, Democrat have argued that the Republican-led efforts are an attempt to compromise Mueller’s probe and protect Trump from scrutiny.

The ouster of House Republicans from the majority in one month means that their probes of the Russia investigation’s origins will come to a halt and be replaced by Democratic probes of the  president’s alleged conflicts of interest, particularly involving Russia and his business.

Trump changed course in September after initially saying he would declassify the documents, citing the concerns of Justice Department officials and U.S. allies. In comments to the Post Wednesday, Trump said that waiting to release the documents may have been the best move all along, as he now has something to use against House Democrats threatening to undermine him when they take power in January.

“It’s much more powerful if I do it then,” Trump said, “because if we had done it already, it would already be yesterday’s news.”