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Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather warned Friday's "stunning" display of a failed GOP healthcare bill "is only the beginning" of the troubles facing the Republican Party.

In a Facebook post, Rather said it was "stunning" to see "a complete defeat" when the American Health Care Act was pulled from the House floor when it became all but certain it didn't have the votes to pass.

He chided not only President Trump, who promised a fast repeal-and-replace process upon entering the White House, but also Republicans who have been "demonizing" Obamacare for seven years.

Pointing to Trump's comment Friday that the bill's failure is "the Democrats' fault," Rather retorted: "The morass of blame is only beginning."

Rather has been a constant critic of Trump's. Earlier this month he said "people will die" from the White House's federal budget proposal. He also said the controversy surrounding former Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn is "at least as big as Watergate."

But it was Friday's failed vote that Rather said was Trump's most notable defeat.

"I have never seen such a staggering loss so early in a term," Rather said. "We have long left charted waters with this administration. And our ship of state bobs amidst ominous waves.

Rather also downplayed any hype behind House Speaker Paul Ryan as a leader.

"The damage isn't limited to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," Rather said. "Many Democrats never understood Paul Ryan's golden boy wonk status. But that aura has also been deeply and perhaps irrevocably tarnished by this health care failure. And the difficulty was expected to be in the Senate."

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He ended his Facebook post with a nod to another cloud of uncertainty growing over Trump's administration.

"Meanwhile, the Russian shadow continues to darken," he said.

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Dan Rather: Failed healthcare bill 'is only the beginning' of Republicans' problems - Washington Examiner