60 years ago the American People took CBS, NBC and ABC at their word as guardians of national honor.
CBS, NBC and ABC controlled the narrative. There were no outlets for rebuttal.
Today, people have a completely different mindset about media and equal access to rebuttal, especially with Trump’s instant access to Tweeting.
The only way a McCarty like smearing could possibly work is if Trump was banned from Social Media.
And T.V., radio, and holding rallies. There are now many different ways for him to get his side out.