Former President Donald Trump claimed executive privilege would be defended as he chastised the Democratic-controlled House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Signaling an effort to sue and make an executive privilege claim in court, Trump issued the declaration of defiance against the panel — which is now seeking electronic records from hundreds of individuals, including members of Congress — in a statement shared by his Save America leadership PAC, along with a fundraising link.

"The Leftist 'select committee' has further exposed itself as a partisan sham and waste of taxpayer dollars with a request that’s timed to distract Americans from historic and global catastrophes brought on by the failures of Joe Biden and the Democrats. Unfortunately, this partisan exercise is being performed at the expense of long-standing legal principles of privilege," Trump said.

"Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my Administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation," he added. These Democrats only have one tired trick — political theater — and their latest request only reinforces that pathetic reality."

HOUSE JAN. 6 RIOT COMMITTEE TO SEEK ELECTRONIC RECORDS FROM LAWMAKERS

The message comes after the Justice Department, under the Biden administration, declined to assert executive privilege for Trump’s acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, to testify to Congress about his role in the Capitol riot, clearing the way for other Trump-era officials to testify.

Trump, who urged supporters to march on the Capitol at a nearby rally on the day of the riot, was impeached by the House on a charge of incitement of insurrection but later acquitted by the Senate, then controlled by Republicans.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, formed the committee after Senate Republicans blocked appointing an independent, bipartisan commission.

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Pelosi appointed two anti-Trump Republicans, Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, to serve on the panel. All other House Republicans oppose the committee, arguing it is partisan and will serve as a tool to bash the GOP ahead of the midterm elections next year.

Cheney said last month that the panel could subpoena Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.