While not commenting directly about what could be revealed in a planned release of a trove of documents related to the origins of the Russia collusion investigation, former ambassador Ric Grenell told Newsmax TV Friday that other releases of similar documents have revealed the extent of the hoax that was involved and that China, not Russia is the main threat to the United States.
"People now see through the facts and through the declassified documents that have already been done that people like Eric Swalwell, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer have been pushing for a long time that Russia was the crisis that we needed to concentrate on," Grenell told Newsmax TV's "National Report."
But, he added, "that is the China line. That is the Beijing line."
"Russia is a problem," he said. "They've always been a problem. They push misinformation and propaganda all the time. But China is a crisis. Anyone who tries to pretend Russia is a bigger problem than China. I think they are doing China's bidding."
A Senate source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News that the documents expected to be released could include transcripts, depositions, and interviews and could include hundreds of documents.
Grennell said that it's important that when releasing documents to be sure that sources and methods are protected and whether the public needs the information involved, and that's where he supports transparency.
Meanwhile, there is no good answer about when information should be made public, including on investigator John Durham's report, he said.
"It shouldn't be delayed because of the politics, and it shouldn't be rushed because of politics," he said, adding that it's difficult to answer what other documents he'd like to see before Trump leaves office.
"I've shared a lot of my personal feelings about the Russian collusion hoax, he said. "I would say there is more that should be declassified so the public can see ... people see that the idea that Donald Trump was a Russian asset is silly."
Grenell also on Friday accused Democrats of ruining the impeachment option with their push to impeach Trump again.
"It's now a political tool," he said. "There are going to be future politicians or maybe even current politicians that will weaponize impeachment against the Democrats when the Republicans are in charge ... I think they misused impeachment. That's not going to be good for us in the future."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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