CNN host Brian Stelter brought on former CBS host Dan Rather to discern the “truth” about impeachment proceedings from the right-wing narrative “propped up by conspiracy theories.”
Rather was one of the “Big Three” nightly news anchors of cable television along with ABC News host Peter Jennings and NBC News host Tom Brokaw. Rather stepped down as anchor of CBS Evening News in March 2005 several months after apologizing to then-President George W. Bush for pushing a story suggesting Bush did not fulfill parts of his military service.
“Right now, there are competing narratives about impeachment,” Stelter said, introducing the segment. “There are facts over here, like transcripts. And then there’s some elaborate fictions. One narrative is grounded in witnesses, testimony under oath, transcripts, receipts, all of it.”
“The other narrative is propped up by conspiracy theories, and grievances, and a desperate desire to support President Trump 1,000% no matter what,” Stelter continued. Clips of popular right-wing opinion shows by Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, and Rush Limbaugh played in the background.
The discuss separating truth from fiction, Stelter brought on Rather, along with Obama historian Nicole Hemmer and Vanity Fair writer Abigail Tracy.
“Watch out for the false equivalencies; these are not equally valid narratives that are out there. Yes, there are alternative universes of information. Yes, there are these competing narratives, but they’re not equally true,” Stelter said.
Given the first opportunity to weigh in on the public impeachment hearings held earlier in the week, Rather said that the “truth is closing in” on Trump.
“There’s been this feeling for a long time that the White House, with this alternative narrative, a false narrative, and with its allies in prime time on Fox [News], was, at least, in a standoff with truth. I think we’ve seen over the last few days the truth has begun to close in,” Rather said.
In September 2004, Rather ran a story suggesting Bush skipped out on important military duties during the president’s service in the Texas Air National Guard. The story also suggested that Bush used connections to dodge service in Vietnam.
Rather apologized for airing the story weeks later after many criticized him for poor reporting and lax fact-checking. An independent review of the story later concluded that CBS News did not follow basic journalistic principles in reporting the story. The network ousted four people, including three executives, because of the false report.
