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As the federal investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of top-secret documents unfolds, Hillary Clinton's measured and somber response marks a stark contrast to Trump baselessly accusing her of crimes during their 2016 presidential campaigns.
The tables have turned, indeed.
Simply put, if you think of Trump’s “lock her up” chant like a death metal song — loud, boorish and incoherent — Clinton’s remix is soft rock by comparison. Easy listening and somewhat bland. But for good reason.
When asked Sunday on CNN whether she believes Trump should be "treated like any other citizen" and indicted if the Justice Department determines he has committed a crime, Clinton gave a somewhat protracted response that ultimately landed on, “yes.”
"I think it's a really hard call, and I cannot predict what the Justice Department will do at the end of its investigation," Clinton said. "But I do think the rule of law — holding people accountable — is central to our nation.
“I really believe, at the end of the day, no one is above the law,” she added. “And no one should be escaping accountability if indeed the facts and the evidence point to them having done something that anyone else in our country would be investigated for and maybe even charged.”
Clinton’s line about having answered “every question I’ve ever been asked” is, intentionally or not, a dig at Trump, who last month invoked his Fifth Amendment right nearly 450 times during questioning by New York state investigators probing his business practices. (Trump, you’ll remember, has claimed Clinton campaign associates who invoked the Fifth during an investigation into her emails were admitting guilt). But in total, Clinton’s comments, which were appropriately solemn and logical, were markedly different from Trump’s wildly irresponsible accusations in 2016.
Unlike Trump’s "lock her up" chant, Clinton's remarks to CNN were, deliberately, not the words of a carnival barker trying to energize onlookers. These were carefully chosen thoughts spoken with a delicacy and diplomacy that suggested they could soon be realized.