Dan Rather has a message for the country and also for the media: It’s time to unload on Trump. Writing on Facebook yesterday, Rather says “acquiescence” is a sign of cowardice. Here’s my take on what the disgraced newsman is really saying:

Every one who normalizes Mr. Trump now, or has in the past, will have to answer to future generations for their acquiescence, silence or sophistry—if, indeed, not outright cowardice…A “presidential” Trump is a punchline to a joke no one wants to have told.

Message: Not my president!

This is a man who challenged the citizenship of President Obama, with lies, innuendo, and no evidence. This is a man who claimed widespread voter fraud with lies, innuendo, and no evidence. This is a man who has taken a rhetorical blowtorch to our Constitutional principles with lies, innuendo, and no evidence.

Message: Statements about presidents should not rely on “lies, innuendo and no evidence.” Don’t ask me how I know. Also, have you seen the movie about my attempt to swing a presidential election using fake memos? It’s called “Truth.”

There is a growing consensus that the President may be “unhinged.” It’s a serious allegation, but even if it is not the case, Mr. Trump only has himself to blame.

Message: Ignore what I said earlier about lies, innuendo and no evidence. I’m just going to throw this out now: Trump is cray-cray!

To call a drama Shakespearean or operatic is usually an overreach. But I imagine artists of the future, and even the present, will find ample inspiration in our moment in history.

Message: The Hollywood progressives who think I’m a journalistic paragon are going to have a field day with Trump.

As the questions mount around Russia, as the circles of defense begin to falter, the determination to create diversions will escalate. But if the President hoped he could create a distraction, I think he misjudged the will of the American people. We have woken.

Message: Okay, I don’t have any evidence here either but, listen, I have a feeling this Russia thing is the real deal. Yes, okay, I’ve made some mistakes in the past on this sort of thing but I have a feeling about this. C’mon media, let’s just skip over the messy details and get to the condemnation of another Republican president. What’s the worst that could happen?