Dan Rather criticized NBC’s decision to hire Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst, arguing it would damage credibility given her loyal service to Donald Trump as RNC chair.
However, Rather himself is seen as responsible for one of the biggest journalistic failures in reporting forged documents about George W. Bush’s military service prior to the 2004 election.
“Journalism Lesson #1 for 2024: The mainstream media should not normalize Donald Trump’s behavior, nor should they give a platform to his lies or those of his sycophants, who for years have spread disastrous untruths that may have irreparably damaged our nation,” Rather wrote. “But in one fell swoop, NBC News has managed to do both.”
While NBC reversed its decision after complaints, Rather’s own history underscores how the mainstream media has undermined its own credibility over the years through partisan reporting and failures like his that continue to be raised when establishment journalists criticize conservative voices.
“Allowing McDaniel to be in the same area code as NBC News is a huge mistake and will only further shred the small amount of trust Americans still have in the mainstream media,” Rather wrote.
“Before she sold her soul, Ronna McDaniel was considered Republican royalty. She’s the granddaughter of George Romney, former GOP governor of Michigan, and niece of Senator Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential nominee and former governor of Massachusetts,” he wrote.
“She has been the chair of the RNC since the day Donald Trump took office in 2017. And she has been loyal to him at all costs, especially the truth,” he added.
“During her tenure, she was a prolific fundraiser yet oversaw the net losses of Republican governorships and congressional seats. But her biggest claim to fame during her seven years on the job is that she was a Trump supporter, loyalist, and apologist above all else.”
