Dan Rather: Trump 'still in the hunt,' despite self-inflicted wounds
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump could still pull out a late-stage victory over Democrat , but his path to the White House has narrowed, former CBS News anchor Dan Rather told CNBC on Tuesday.
"I still think Donald Trump has a chance to win. But chances of winning have been somewhat diminished since the time of the Democratic Convention," Rather said in an interview on "Squawk Box."
Trump has caused many of his own problems, with his attacks on the Khan family topping the list, Rather said, referring to the candidate's dust-up with the parents of U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died fighting in Iraq.
However, Rather believes Trump can overcome his missteps and soft polls numbers by continuing to speak to disenfranchised Americans. "Donald Trump is one thing, but 'Trumpism,' as The Wall Street Journal has called it, is another."
"Trump has hit a nerve with people who are really concerned about immigration ... [and] don't always say it," said Rather, host of "The Big Interview" on AXS TV. "They are [also] particularly concerned about the globalization of the economy ... [and] law and order."
The billionaire is "still in the hunt" because of these themes, Rather added. "If he wasn't hitting this nerve with a broad spectrum of people out in the countryside, then given the kind of candidate he is and the kind of campaign he's run he wouldn't be anywhere."
Rather said this unusual election cycle has revealed two things: "how out of touch Washington is, and for that matter how out of touch most of the press is with what's really going on out in the country, particularly between the two coasts."
Regardless of whether Trump or Clinton wins, Rather thinks the entrenched partisanship and gridlock in Washington will only get worse. "I hope I'm wrong about this. I think the next campaign starts the day after this election is decided in November."