Veteran journalist Dan Rather on Sunday said it’s critical for the press to point out President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE’s false statements to the public, no matter how difficult it can be to keep up.

“I think it’s absolutely imperative. Now more than ever is when the press needs to be a kind of truth squad for this and every other president. It’s perhaps more important with President Trump because there are more untruths to set the record straight,” Rather, a former CBS anchor, said on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”

“I do think that most people get it,” he continued. “That most people understand that they’re facing on a daily basis from the White House and from the president himself, the rough equivalent of you’re facing a fertilizer spreader in a windstorm.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Rather said Trump has made so many false claims that it’s “past the point of shock” when he says something inaccurate or misleading, but added that it’s still useful for journalists to fact-check such statements.

Trump made more than 2,000 false or misleading claims in his first year in office, according to a Washington Post project.

Trump frequently attacks news outlets for reporting unfavorable stories. As president, he has labeled the media "fake news," "vicious" and the "enemy of the American people."

Rather has been a fierce critic of the president, saying at one point that "prayer will not be enough" for the U.S. under Trump.