A free press is vital to a healthy democracy. The government must be held accountable by a press which is adversarial. This is because the government cannot be trusted to hold itself accountable, nor can American citizens spend all day combing through government documents to find the truth on their own.

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Jay: "Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it."

Jefferson understood the importance of the free press. So should the Trump administration. President Trump should demonstrate to the American people that he is not afraid of an adversarial press. He should do this by answering the tough questions they pose. Without dodging, and without pivoting.