Veteran newsman Dan Rather on Tuesday penned an answer to the "hypocritical" calls for "civility" after White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant because she supports the Trump administration's policy on separating families who cross the border illegally.
In a post on Facebook, Rather argued that "President Trump and the GOP bemoaning a lack of civility is a hypocritical farce."
"It spurs an almost uncontrollable bout of forehead slapping in disbelief," he wrote. But let's be clear about what incivility really looks like."
Rather went on to list over a dozen ways that the Republican Party has fostered "incivility."
Incivility is lying to impugn the citizenship of the first African American president.Incivility is threatening and mocking reporters and attacking the First Amendment protections of our free and independent press.
Incivility is destroying the environment and ignoring climate change.
Incivility is countenancing corruption and venality in the highest reaches of the White House and its cabinet.
Incivility is our government's response to Puerto Rico.
Incivility is undermining a merited investigation by respected law enforcement officials and maligning the notion of an independent judiciary.
Incivility is cozying up to dictators and attacking our allies and friends.
"These are but a few of the real incivilities that plague our moment in history," Rather concluded. "They are the actions of a man and his enablers who feel no compunction about destroying the bonds that have held this improbable nation together. We will only succeed if we have a civil society. And anything or anyone who attacks that cherished American ideal must be considered... uncivil."
Read the entire column below.
