President Donald Trump continually attacks CNN via Twitter, often referring to CNN as fake news, even as he praises Fox News.

General Michael Hayden interpreted a recent Trump tweet as not only an attack on the news network, but also an attack against the First Amendment, and responded with a harsh tweet of his own.

General Hayden, a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former director of both the CIA and the National Security Agency, took great umbrage with Trump attacking the First Amendment, saying that if this is the direction our country is headed, he has wasted 40 years of his life.

General Hayden also said that he had never imagined a US President would attack free speech, the First Amendment, or truth.

This isn’t the first time that General Hayden has spoken out against President Trump.  Earlier this year at a rally, Trump spoke out against the NFL players who knelt during the national anthem, saying, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when someone disrespects our flag to say, `Get that son of a bitch off the field right now!”

General Hayden responded to Trump’s remarks, saying, “As a 39-year military veteran, I think I know something about the flag, the anthem, patriotism, and I think I know why we fight. It’s not to allow the president to divide us by wrapping himself in the national banner.”

We should be thankful for vociferous people like General Hayden, who are unafraid to speak out against Trump’s absurdity and divisiveness.  Hopefully, influential opponents of President Trump can keep him from destroying the very fabric of our country before his term is ended.