What began as a serious ­inquiry into a potential world-historical calamity will on Thursday complete its turn into a combination of one of those really bad Washington conspiracy thrillers from the 1970s and ’80s that only a Communist could love.

The release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report into Russian interference in the 2016 election won’t change the top-line finding of Attorney General William Barr’s four-page summary — namely, that Donald Trump and his campaign didn’t collude or conspire with the Kremlin.

ANDREW MCCARTHY: MEDIA-DEMOCRAT COMPLEX WHINES OVER AG BARR’S PRESS CONFERENCE ON MUELLER REPORT RELEASE

The belief of those who hope the report can still somehow generate an impeachment proceeding rests on details within the report that might suggest the president sought to obstruct justice during the Mueller inquiry.

We all watched as things ­unfolded in real time, and we saw exactly what might indeed have risen to that level — it did appear Trump might have been hinting at pardons for Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort.

But he didn’t pardon them, and they’re both going to jail for a considerable stretch of time.

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