Carl Bernstein: Situation with Trump ‘is worse than Watergate’

Veteran reporter Carl Bernstein says “what we are watching in the Trump presidency is worse than Watergate,” a story the former Washington Post reporter broke with Bob Woodward more than 40 years ago. 

Bernstein added Thursday that Republicans aren’t holding President Trump accountable whom he described as “a demonstrable authoritarian in terms of his rhetoric,” which he says differs from that of Republican “heroes” with Nixon who “demanded that he be transparent.”

The commentary from Bernstein, a staunch critic of Trump throughout his candidacy and presidency, comes after the president has repeatedly called the media “fake news” and “the enemy of the people” over its reporting of him and his administration. 

{mosads}”I think it’s time to recognize that what we are watching in the Trump presidency is worse than Watergate,” Bernstein told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “It’s worse than Watergate, as I say, because the system worked in Watergate.” 

“The heroes of Watergate were Republicans who demanded that the president be held accountable, who demanded that he be transparent, who demanded to know what did the president know and when did he know it, and who conducted bipartisan investigation that led, in fact, to understanding and finding out what Nixon had done,” he continued. “Whereas the Republicans on Capitol Hill thus far, have done almost everything they can to impede and undermine legitimate investigation.”

“And so, it’s a totally different and much more dangerous situation,” Bernstein, a CNN political analyst, concluded. “And also, Donald Trump is a demonstrable authoritarian in terms of his rhetoric, in terms of whipping up his base. Nixon did not do anything similar to that.” 

Trump’s base appears to be in lockstep with the president in terms of his view of the press. 

In a recent CBS poll, 91 percent of Trump supporters say they believe the president is providing them accurate information. Sixty-three percent say the same when it comes to information from friends and family, and just 11 percent of Trump supporters believe the media provides them accurate information. 

Woodward, Bernstein’s Watergate partner, is working on a Trump administration exposé set for release next month. “Fear: Trump in the White House” hits shelves on Sept. 11.