The Washington Post Editorial Board writes the speech a more principled president would have given had his former campaign chairman and longtime personal attorney been found guilty of and pleaded guilty to federal crimes, respectively.
An excerpt:
“I was saddened by Mr. Cohen and Mr. Manafort’s wrongdoing. They are guilty of serious felonies. Their frauds reflect neither smarts nor savvy, but misshapen and dishonest characters. Ordinary Americans pay their taxes, tell the truth to their lenders and contribute to political campaigns within the boundaries of the law. There are no special exceptions for the rich and connected.
These were men who occupied powerful posts in my campaign and my business. It is not an honor to me or a good day for the country when men of such position are confirmed to be criminals. But at least I and other Americans can take comfort in the fact that the justice system once again proved that no one is above the law.
That includes your president. I am confident that I did nothing wrong, and Americans should have confidence that I have nothing to hide. That is why I look forward to telling special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and any other federal prosecutor involved in these cases everything I know. I will also release my tax returns and other information regarding my business activities before and during my presidency to show that I held myself to higher standards than Mr. Cohen and Mr. Manafort ... "
Read the full piece: What a presidential president would have said about Cohen’s and Manafort’s crimes