Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Can we turn the page?

Mueller’s report should be released to the public

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With the end of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigat­ion, the 2016 election is finally over. The far left will never accept that Donald Trump is the duly elected president of our country, or that, because he is duly elected by the people, he is, by definition, worthy to be president.

But can the center left, and can liberal Democrats, and much of the press, at last accept the reality of the Trump presidency?

Now that Mr. Mueller has completed his work, can Mr. Trump’s political opponents admit that, because they disagree with Mr. Trump on policy or tactics, it is not also necessary to criminaliz­e and demonize him?

Can they even admit that some people who voted for Mr. Trump are rational and decent human beings?

We now have it officially: The president did not collude with the Russians to undermine the 2016 presidenti­al election.

It was always a ludicrous charge, legitimize­d mostly by hysteria, and additional­ly, sadly, much of the mainstream media, which lost its perspectiv­e utterly with regard to Mr. Trump. The press permanentl­y diminished itself and destroyed much of its credibilit­y in covering the president.

Most Americans knew in their bones that the collusion story was absurd.

Mr. Mueller also found no real evidence of obstructio­n of justice. How could he? Perhaps one can obstruct the investigat­ion of a non-crime (and there was inadequate evidence even of this), but it would be a trick. The attorney general said there must be an underlying crime to obstruct.

The Mueller verdict changes things politicall­y, and significan­tly, for Mr. Trump. But will it change him? Will he let go of 2016 and all of his anger about the Mueller probe and begin to act, consistent­ly, with a grace and statesmans­hip worthy of his office?

Most of the things the president does to hijack his message and his presidency are matters of tone and taste. And almost all are unnecessar­y. A person with great power can afford to be generous and restrained.

Mr. Trump didn’t have to attack Robert Mueller, for Mr. Mueller was, it turned out, a pretty straight-up guy, and that rarest thing among prosecutor­s — one willing to say, “There is nothing substantia­l here.” Mueller did his duty.

That said, the entire Mueller report should be released to the public. This is indisputab­le.

So, now that the great snipe hunt, and the 2016 election, are both finally over, will we see a measure of reserve from the left or from the White House? It is doubtful. The 2020 election is upon us.

 ?? Doug Mills/The New York Times ?? Can the country finally move past the election of 2016?
Doug Mills/The New York Times Can the country finally move past the election of 2016?

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