Dan Rather Cautions Press on Syria: ‘War Must Never Be Considered a Public Relations Operation’

‘The Role of the Press is to Ask Hard Questions’

Donald Trump’s decision from his Mar-a-Lago estate to use 59 Tomahawk missiles to destroy a Syrian military base, which ABC reported yesterday was again operational, has drawn (arguably unlikely) praise from a number of news outlets typically critical of the president.

In response, as The Hill pointed out, celebrated and veteran CBS News anchor Dan Rather took to his Facebook page to caution the press that praised the strike as Trump’s first presidential decision, calling their reports “concerning.”

“The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief,” Rather began in his post, which as of this publication been shared over 10,000 times, with over 38,000 reactions. “Committing the use of force and American men and women in uniform is about as serious as it gets. But the truly great presidents understand that knowing when NOT to act is as important as knowing when to act.”

Rather pointed out the tendency to “rally around the flag,” citing that a “President who takes on a war footing can see a boost of support,” but was cautious about Trump’s strategy. “Whether there is a coherence to this missile strike fitting into a larger foreign policy strategy is a question that should give us all pause,” he said.

(Following the strike, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threatened additional actions against the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.)

“The role of the press is to ask hard questions,” Rather advised, citing “ample evidence” that the Trump Administration must face scrutiny and a “healthy skepticism” in all of its actions, a response to “the lies we have heard, the chaos in governance, and the looming questions about ties with Russia – itself a major player in Syria.”

“The number of the press who have lauded the actions last night as ‘presidential’ is concerning,” the celebrated journalist cautioned. “War must never be considered a public relations operation.”

“It is not a way for an Administration to gain a narrative.”

The full post can be read here.

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