In his latest Twitter rant, President Trump has boldly accused President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the election season.

This reckless and baseless accusation of a previous administration is extremely dangerous. Even the former CIA director has come out to deny these claims. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation, President Trump has shown the American people once again that he cannot control his emotions by tweeting.

One of the frequent targets of Trump’s attacks is the press. From his run during the primaries and as the Republican nominee to finally being the President of the United States, Donald Trump has never been shy about expressing his dislike of the mainstream media.

However, Trump’s continuous attacks against multiple news sources have raised eyebrows of not only Americans, but global citizens. Many see his dislike of the media as unfounded and a direct violation of the First Amendment’s freedom of press.

On Feb. 18, President Trump, after ranting a a press conference, tweets about the press saying: “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!”

Trump repeats this point again at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 23. It has come into question as to why the leader of a nation built on democratic ideals is criticizing the media instead of taking action and regulating his closest advisors. Even members of his own party have come out to show their support for a free press.

The Founding Fathers understood the importance of a free press. The Constitution guarantees the opinion of the people to be heard and their right to hold political leaders accountable for their actions. The press acts as the Fourth Estate in influencing policy and decision; it is the direct connection between the American people and the leaders who represent them.

Trump clearly has no idea how the Constitution works.

The term “enemy of the people” also holds historical significance. It was a term used in the Soviet Union and targeting those who had ideals in opposition of Joseph Stalin. This is a term used in authoritative government and should never be used lightly.

Although there may be many fake news sites, the media outlets that Trump has targeted include of some the most reputable publications in the world. The President needs to realize that when the press informs the American people of the truths in events regarding government events, they are not conspiring against the American people, but rather simply doing their job, the job that the Supreme Law of the Land guarantees.

The President has every power to conduct private research before publically accusing a previous administration of committing such baseless crimes.

On March 4, the CIA director Michael Hayden has shut down  Trump’s claim on CBS’ Late Show. Either way, the ending is not positive for President Trump. If the CIA investigates his claims, that means that the agency has probable cause in Russia having suspicious contact with the Trump campaign.

Trump’s opinion of the media has resonated with the entire White House as Sean Spicer, the White House’s press secretary and communications director, blocked numerous news outlets from attending a briefing. This was an unprecedented and unexpected action as daily briefings are normally on camera and is inclusive of all major networks.

Every president has come under the scrutiny of the press during their political careers, this comes with the job. This is how democracy works: people hold leaders in power accountable for their actions. It is that simple. Nobody is purposely trying to attack and bring down the POTUS.

On many occasions, President Trump has called the media dishonest and fake. This is hypocritical as the Trump administration has continuously reported untrue data and events.

News outlets and the press should continue to hold President Trump and his administration accountable for their actions. We cannot normalize and become immune to this behavior. There is already a huge disconnection between normal American citizens and Washington. The press acts as the people’s eyes in the realm of politics and global affairs.

Just as the Washington Post’s new maxim reads: democracy dies in darkness. A free press is the light in the dark. The American people deserve reality and not a series of alternative facts that have proven time after time of being blatanly incorrect.