Pushing back against this narrative is difficult for those who respect the principles of democracy; at the end of the day, if we break with the behavior we claim to support, then we have to ask ourselves, Are we no better than Trump? Do we do a little bad to preserve the greater good? Philosophies, screenplays and books have considered this conundrum since man crawled from the caves, and I do not pretend to be a deeper thinker than Kierkegaard or Kant. As a practical matter, however, the Democrats, the press, immigrants, women, the disenfranchised, the LBGTQ community and any other institution, organization, race, creed, color or religion believing itself to be wronged must keep in mind what the story is really all about: Donald Trump.

If we push back because our pride is hurt, then it is not in the country’s best interest, because Trump will use that against us. Trump wants to divide and conquer and it becomes about us, because Trump wants it to be. He will do anything to keep you from focusing on his actions. As journalists, we risk losing the ability to frame the narrative if we give in to those baser demands. In pushing back, we must remember to return to the real issue and remain focused on the workings of the Trump administration, his consolidation of power, and his bullying tactics to remain in power.

Trump’s trolls and sycophants are merely the undercard in his WWF Smackdown reality show and he loves directing traffic to keep his base amused; to keep his detractors struggling to be heard; and ultimately, to keep him from being held accountable for any action. While tempting to put your head down and soldier on, the rules have changed. Trump changed them, so at times, one must push back. But we must never lose sight of why we do it.

It isn’t about us, as much as Trump would like it to be. His attacks on Fox, CNN, ABC, CBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post and others only highlight Trump’s inadequacies—not ours. His proxies, mesmerized by having a seat at the stage of power instead of being marginalized, are intoxicated by their newfound stature and dare not question why they are there, or even who put them there. It is, for them, a giddy ride of empowerment. And while Trump struggles with the meaning of free speech, we cannot fail in our support of it.

“I may disagree with what you say, but I defend to death your right to say it” is a guiding principle of free speech and it should not be discarded. But free speech isn’t just for journalists, and you don’t necessarily get to call yourself a journalist if you practice free speech. Journalism is a profession protected by the First Amendment, and while one can argue the government has done its best to destroy the Fourth Estate in the last half century, it still remains vital to the cause of a nation which wishes to govern itself. Journalism is vetting facts. Journalism is copy editors and fact checkers; writers, producers, anchors, reporters, sound technicians, photographers and interns. Journalists run to the fire like first responders and risk as much doing so. Journalists write the first draft of history—and risk getting the facts wrong in honest attempts to inform the public.

On Monday, April 15, 1912, The Los Angeles Express ran a headline that read “All Passengers Are Safe” in its first reports on the sinking of the Titanic. The iconic headline of “Dewey Defeats Truman” is an even more famous example of when the press gets it wrong. No one called us “fake media” or “enemies of the people” then. Rational minds knew what really occurred; in the rush to get it out, we sometimes get it wrong. We’re human.

Only Trump has chosen to weaponize our humanity and use it against us. In so doing, he appeals to the irrational mind and those who’ve been denied a spot at the table for so long. It is the irrational bully, the dullard and the power-mad who Trump uses as a cudgel to intimidate the rest of us. It is in the best interest of the country and our ideals to stand up to such blows in any manner available while reminding ourselves it is not about us. After we die, we will all eventually be forgotten. The quest for liberty cannot be.

Ultimately, Trump wishes to erase the standards that are a key component to logical and rational debate. He doesn’t want to answer questions regarding his leadership, his finances or criminal activity surrounding his businesses. As a means to this end, he has turned the office of the president into a cartoon villain, appealing to the marginalized to support his means.

Any long-term thinking about this matter ultimately brings us back to the question of “How did this happen?” Were we asleep at the wheel? Do we deserve this? Are we culpable? In the future how do we insure an independent and free press? Any consideration of Trump must include a look ahead. How do we secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves, our progeny and theirs? These are questions we must consider after Trump is gone—however and whenever he leaves his office.

But for now, we must not forget our focus: Donald J. Trump. Who is he? What has he done, and what will he do? When did he know, and what did he know? Where is he taking this country? How did this happen and why? Those are the basic questions of journalism: Who. What. When. Where. How. Why? Deficits? War? Allies? Economy?

While we must stand up to the bullies he employs to intimidate us, we must never abandon the focus. Trump wants you on the undercard. He doesn’t want you looking at him unless he’s taking credit for something he believes the base wants to hear. In his world, the truth is fluid. He can say there is a crisis at the border and deny he’s manufacturing one. He can say immigrants are living in better conditions here than in their home countries, despite pictures of the contrary. He can scream “witch hunt” while refusing to acknowledge his own administration sanctioned more than a dozen Russians indicted in the Mueller investigation. He can say he’s leading the way in the environment while gutting the E.P.A, cutting funding to study climate change and removing us from the Paris Accords. He can claim the Democrats are roadblocks, but not acknowledge he had two years where the GOP had control of the House and the Senate.

Trump claims that no president in the future should ever have to go through the scrutiny he has been through. On this he is absolutely wrong. Every president should go through the scrutiny Trump has gone through. And if the press, the opposition party and indeed the whole country is only now coming awake to that reality, then Trump’s tenure in the White House could be a blessing even to those who see it as a Medieval nightmare.