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Dan Rather has done anything but sit idly by as Donald Trump has wreaked international havoc. Leading up to the election, the legendary news anchor spoke out countless times in condemnation of the then-GOP presidential nominee. In fact, he has a Facebook following of over 1.7 million people, most of whom look forward to his daily news commentary.
On Thursday, Rather appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss, of course, Donald Trump — but also why he feels it’s important to speak out via Facebook.
When Fallon asked Rather to share his take on Trump’s battle with the media, seemingly at a loss for an explanation, Rather said “I’ve never seen anything like this — and neither has anyone else.”
He went on to compare Trump to President Nixon, who, despite Watergate, he believes wasn’t nearly as bad as President Trump. Having worked as a journalist for over 60 years, Rather has seen his far share of U.S. presidents come and go. One thing he hasn’t seen, however, is any president like Donald Trump:
‘No president has ever so often, so openly and so personally assaulted and attacked, not just the press as an institution, but individual press members, as well… We’ve never had anything even approaching this at any time that I can remember. You look through history — it just hasn’t happened,’ Rather told Fallon.
And he’s right. Be it his feud with former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, publicly mocking a disabled reporter, or relentlessly attacking legitimate news outlets such as CNN and the New York Times, Trump’s war against the media is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Fallon went on to ask Rather what advice he has for journalists and political correspondents responsible for dealing with the Trump administration. He said:
‘Well, first of all stay steady, stay respectful, but also be relentless and remain aggressive. That’s the proper role of the press. Our role is part of a system of checks and balances to ask questions, keep on asking tough questions — do deep-digging investigative reporting. That’s what we’re supposed to do.’
Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon was recently said the press needs to “keep its mouth shut,” so of course Fallon asked Rather how he felt about that. But he maintains that it’s important to push the Trump administration for answers, after all, that’s the job of the press. He said:
‘With respect sir, we’re not going to shut up — now answer the damn question.’
Rather concluded the interview with an important message for Americans:
‘In the days and months ahead, Americans will have their struggles, some more so than others. But in fatigue or in fear, we need to collectively remember one thing — there are certain truths that are not alternative, they are self evident.’
Watch the clip below, via YouTube:
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