Dan Rather mourns Liz Cheney’s loss, though he trashed his own career trying to stop her father's re-election

close

Video

Liz Cheney is 'done in politics': Sean Duffy

Fox News contributor Sean Duffy discusses what losing Tuesday's primary will mean for Liz Cheney's political future.

On Tuesday, disgraced former "CBS Evening News" anchor Dan Rather preemptively mourned the GOP primary defeat of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., claiming it would be a loss not just for the state and the Republican Party, but for the entire nation.

Ironically, Rather did all he could to prevent another member of the Cheney family from staying in office during the 2004 election cycle, to the point of reporting as true forged documents meant to smear then-incumbent President George W. Bush and sink his re-election, along with then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

It was a move that all but ended Rather’s career.

Only a couple of hours before polls closed in the Wyoming primary, in which Liz Cheney faced Trump-backed Republican candidate Harriet Hageman, Rather lamented the probable loss of the incumbent Wyoming congresswoman and key member of the January 6 Committee.

VOTERS DECIDE PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN WYOMING AND ALASKA: LIVE UPDATES

Dan Rather supported Liz Cheney's primary bid on Tuesday, though he sought to cripple her father's chances on the Bush/Cheney platform in 2004. (Reuters )

The former "60 Minutes" host tweeted, "If Liz Cheney is defeated today, as expected, I would not frame it as her losing. It is a loss for Wyoming, the Republican Party, and the nation." 

Cheney, who has been a harsh critic of former President Trump and his supporters with her participation in the congressional investigation into the Capitol Hill riot, lost to Hageman by over 30 points Tuesday evening. 

Rather has tweeted out his admiration for Cheney in the past, praising her role on the January 6th Committee. In July, he wrote, "Liz Cheney speaks with force about American democracy. It is inspirational. It is dire. And it is necessary."

Rather’s show of support for Cheney may have struck many as remarkable considering the veteran newsman tarnished his own career in his attempts to thwart the re-election of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and former President George W. Bush.

Rep. Liz Cheney talks with voters at Wyoming's Wind River Reservation, on July 16, 2022 (Liz Cheney re-election campaign )

In 2004, just ahead of the presidential election, Rather trotted out letters disparaging Bush’s behavior while serving in the National Guard in the 1970s, during an episode of "60 Minutes II." Rather reported that one of Bush’s commanding officers at the time wrote them. 

LAWMAKERS, PUNDITS REACT TO LIZ CHENEY'S LOSS IN WYOMING: ‘GIRL, BYE’

Despite Rather’s portrayal of these damaging letters as the real deal to cripple Bush’s electoral chances, the veracity of the documents could not be verified after the report. Critics alleged they were forged, and Rather ultimately apologized for the journalistic malpractice before a CBS investigation into the story got underway.

At the time, Rather stated, "We made a mistake in judgment and for that I am sorry."

Rather stepped down from his role as anchor of CBS Evening News months after the scandal. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Wyoming Republican congressional candidate Harriet Hageman arrives to speak to supporters during a primary election night party on August 16, 2022 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Hageman, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, defeated Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in their GOP primary. (Photo by Michael Smith/Getty Images)