You can add former CBS news anchor Dan Rather to a growing list of journalists, political opponents, Hollywood celebrities, and others bashing President-elect Donald Trump over his frequently surprising and often questionable use of Twitter, while Rather is also noting the "problem" Trump's tweets pose for journalists.

Trump has long established a pattern of using Twitter to attack political adversaries who disagree with him, criticize corporations who shift jobs overseas, and blast one of his favorite targets -- news organizations and reporters -- when they post unfavorable reports about him, his proposed policies, or his political appointments.

But Twitter really exploded over the weekend when Trump appeared to cast a wider net of criticism, tweeting that only “stupid” people or “fools” would be opposed to having a good relationship with Russia. The posting came after the President-elect was briefed on an intelligence report about Russia’s interference in November’s election. Trump followed up with two more tweets promising improved relations and pledged that Russia would have more “respect” for the U.S. than it does now.

Rather: Trump's tweets 'problem for journalists'

Rather -- who said last week that Trump was making “news as fast as he can tweet” -- posted messages on Sunday, noting that Trump’s tweets pose a “problem for journalists.” In a Twitter message and on a Facebook posting Rather asked “how do you deal with a president-elect, and soon-to-be president, who regularly Tweets untrue, inflammatory or intimidating statements?”

The legendary newsman says he wishes the media could ignore some of Trump’s tweets, while also acknowledging that what a president has to say is usually newsworthy.

“By the nature of the office, when a president says something it's usually news,” Rather said in his posting. “Words can move markets (we saw this happen a couple times since the election, including when Trump tweeted about GM early this past week). Words can also start wars and shift the direction of major domestic and foreign policy.

That's why most presidents are constrained and careful with their public statements.”

Rather is pledging to walk a balance between bringing attention to Trump’s tweets when he thinks they are are serious enough to merit attention, while also promising not to be distracted from other news.

Carl Bernstein has also been harsh critic of Trump

Besides Rather, other veteran journalists, including investigative reporter Carl Bernstein, have been harsh critics of Trump. In a Twitter posting last month, Bernstein said Trump was “ignorant of fact,” while in November, Bernstein described him in separate tweets as “unhinged” and as “sadly ignorant of our history and its meaning.”

On Sunday, it seemed to be business as usual between Trump and the media. After Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” and said Russia’s moves to interfere with the presidential election did not “succeed in throwing the election,” the President-elect complained in a tweet again about the “dishonest media,” saying that most of the interview had been cut.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED