With a wave of eager Democrats retaking the House of Representatives in January and subsequently gaining the power to launch investigations of President Donald Trump and his administration, the President is threatening to retaliate.
In a broad interview with the New York Post, the President said that if Democrats decide to proceed with investigations—which he referred to as "presidential harassment"—he would strike back by declassifying FISA warrants and other documents that would allegedly be "devastating" for the Democrats.
The President threatened:
“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...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.”
The President neglected to address that the House of Representatives and the entire Legislative branch exists in part to keep executive powers in check and hold presidents accountable.
Some say that he is making these threats out of fear.
The impending power of House Democrats to launch investigations has members of both parties treading lightly.
While many Democrats are ready to get even with the President after two years of obstruction and defamation, some are more hesitant—fearing that moves against Trump will make the party appear to place its own vindication over the progress of the American people.
For others, holding Trump accountable and moving the United States forward are one and the same.
Speculation on what the Democrats may investigate when coming to power have already begun.
Democratic constituents are widely in favor of pursuing these investigations—partly for comeuppance but mostly (as with the crisis at the border) for justice and the upholding of American ideals.
As for the documents Trump threatens to declassify, few seem scared.
With Democrats' motivation and Trump's anger, 2019 is already taking shape to be an even more tumultuous time.
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