The apparent relationship between Trump‘s inner circle and Russia could rival the political scandal of Watergate, warns veteran journalist Dan Rather.
The full magnitude of the situation with Russia could very well be yet to be seen, Rather said in a Facebook post Tuesday, as the situation continues to cascade “in intensity seemingly by the hour.”
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“Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now.”
“It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now. On a 10 scale of Armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9,” Rather wrote.
Rather pegged the “Russia scandal” at around “a 5 or 6,” as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged.
“It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling.”
The post came amid the resignation of Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn, after it was revealed he’d misled Vice-President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia.
This follows a conclusion by U.S. intelligence officials that Russia tried to influence the outcome of the presidential election, and was behind the email hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
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Democrats are demanding an investigation into the extent of Flynn’s conversations surrounding U.S. sanctions against Russia, what Trump knew of the situation, and when.
The White House said Flynn’s actions pose no legal issues; “eroding” trust forced his resignation.
READ MORE: Donald Trump knew for weeks Michael Flynn was misleading over Russia
Rather reflects on his experience chasing the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which resulted in the resignation of then-president Richard Nixon. The Watergate case was a complex web of events; it’s still unclear just how much Nixon knew of a plan to hack the office of the DNC, but he did go to great lengths to cover it up.
When it comes to the emerging Russia situation, as far as Rather is concerned, “the White House has no credibility on this issue,” and a full investigation is warranted.
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“We need an independent investigation. Damn the lies, full throttle forward on the truth,” Rather wrote.
He then compared the situation to far-fetched Hollywood movie.
“But this is not fiction. It is real and it is serious. Deadly serious. We deserve answers and those who are complicit in this scandal need to feel the full force of justice.”