By Sean Franklin

When Donald Trump was sworn in as our 45th president, he took an oath of office. It went like this: “I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Now consider this quote from the first amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”

Trump’s statements about the press have been inflammatory to say the least. He constantly attacks news outlets he doesn’t agree with —many of which are well respected, like ABC and The New York Times—by calling them “fake news.” He has referred to the press as the “enemy of the American people.” He once tweeted a crudely-made video of himself wrestling down a man with the CNN logo superimposed on his head. His delivery is often juvenile, but his message is no less insidious. Most recently, he threatened to take away NBC’s broadcast license over the same “fake news” accusations. This is unconscionable behavior for a man who has sworn to uphold the Constitution.

Not only has Trump failed in his constitutional duty, he is also threatening the very bedrock of American democracy. It is difficult to understate the importance of the fourth estate in keeping a democracy open and free. In order for the electorate to make educated decisions, it needs reliable information. Journalism is the key to this —it links people with information. When press freedom is infringed upon, democracy suffers. We need look no further than Russia or Turkey to see this.

The press is not only a valuable channel for transmitting information to the public; it is also a crucial bulwark against government largesse and corruption. Bad press is a powerful incentive—governments are much less likely to act in unscrupulous ways if they think the public might find out about it. Politicians, left to their own devices, are likely to abuse their power. Democracy gives us the power to vote them out of office, but only journalism can give us the reasons. The press keeps government honest (relatively speaking). Its power to uncover scandals and corruption make it an essential part of a well-functioning democracy.

Attacking the press is a common move for autocrats and would-be dictators. I’m not saying that Trump is a closeted autocrat; I don’t think he has the intelligence, or the patience, required to pull that off. But it is troubling how little he respects the institutions that safeguard freedom and democracy. Trump is shifting the Overton window on press criticism, and that could have disastrous consequences in the future. Trump, given his erratic nature, isn’t likely to make America an autocracy. But he is giving other, more Machiavellian operators a rhetorical space in which to operate. Attacks on the press have become frighteningly normal, and more skilled politicians will surely exploit that for their own gain. It’s not unfathomable to imagine a future president actually silencing the press under the guise of fighting “fake news.” Questioning the validity of the free press is the first step towards eliminating it entirely, and Trump has opened the door to that possibility.

There’s a reason that the First Amendment is first – it’s one of the most important. It safeguards the essential freedoms without which a free society cannot function. Public discourse is the oil on the gears of democracy, and Donald Trump’s flagrant disregard for it is appalling. Trump has failed in his sworn constitutional duty by his refusal to defend those freedoms. But more than that, he has failed America. We must do everything in our power to protect the freedom of the press and open public discourse, and we must do it even if the highest office in the land will not.

Sean Franklin, FCRH ’21, is an urban studies major from Alexandria, Virginia.