Dan Rather, the former CBS anchor whose career ended because of a false story about President George W. Bush’s military service in 2004, tweeted several times in support of The Atlantic‘s story claiming ridiculously that President Trump called fallen American soldiers in WWI “suckers” and “losers.”
The article’s sources were anonymous, and nearly a dozen witnesses went on the record to dispute author Jeffrey Goldberg’s claims, but Rather seemed convinced enough to tweet several times in support of the story: “Um, wow. What a read,” he began. “Fox News reporting seems to confirm much of what was in @TheAtlantic report by @JeffreyGoldberg,” he added. “Damage control is more difficult when damage is an innate feature of the system,” he continued.
Rather also posted two videos of himself reading the Gettysburg Address and “In Flanders Fields” in an apparent virtue-signaling display of his own patriotism and empathy for fallen soldiers.
You will recall that in 2004, Rather reported that Bush had shirked National Guard service. The story, aimed at a wartime president running for re-election, was based on forged documents and intended to erode Bush’s support among conservatives and military voters — just as the Atlantic article is intended to do. It didn’t work in 2004 and it certainly won’t work in 2020.