President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing the FBI to immediately declassify all remaining documents related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, the controversial probe that examined whether Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the presidential election.
The decision marks a significant moment in a years-long battle over transparency regarding the origins and conduct of the FBI’s investigation.
Trump has long maintained that Crossfire Hurricane was a politically motivated effort to undermine his presidency, and by ordering the full declassification of these files, he says the American public will finally see the truth.
“You probably won’t bother because you’re not going to like what you see,” Trump said, addressing the media after signing the order. “But this was total weaponization. It’s a disgrace. It should have never happened in this country. But now you’ll be able to see for yourselves. All declassified.”
The FBI officially launched Crossfire Hurricane on July 31, 2016, as a counterintelligence probe into whether Trump campaign officials had coordinated with Russian operatives to influence the election.
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The investigation was reportedly triggered by intelligence that a Trump campaign advisor had discussed Russia’s possession of damaging information on Hillary