Not since Gerald Ford in 1975 has a president or presidential candidate survived two assassination attempts — until now.

On Sunday, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly aimed a rifle through the fence at former President Donald Trump’s golf course. Thankfully, agents nearby spotted him and acted swiftly. He fled and was arrested soon after, leaving an AK-47, a GoPro camera and two backpacks at the scene. The FBI is treating the incident as an assassination attempt. It marks the second such attack on the Republican nominee since July, both seemingly driven by political motivations.

“DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,” Routh tweeted on April 22. “We cannot afford to fail. The world is counting on us to show the way.” He urged Biden to call his campaign “Keep America democratic and free,” contrasting with Trump’s MASA — “make Americans slaves again master.”

Routh has reportedly donated to Democratic candidates and progressive causes since 2019.

Last year, the New York Times reported he’d spent months in Ukraine and was recruiting Afghan soldiers to aid Ukrainians. In fact, media reports now indicate, Routh proposed plans apparently disassociated from reality — which Ukraine’s government had wanted nothing to do with, so they’ve quickly disowned him.

Routh’s actions and history suggest he endorses extreme measures to “save democracy” — even if that means doing it himself.

We’ve entered a dangerous time where the idea of democracy has been twisted into a serious battle cry — and everyday citizens, just trying to live their lives and feed their families, are getting caught in the crossfire.

The narrative that Trump must be stopped to preserve democracy has become so pervasive that two people from different generations resorted to political violence against him.

Let’s be real: A singular political figure isn’t the real threat to American society. Rather, it’s the erosion of the small-R republican principles that have kept us steady for nearly two and a half centuries — individual rights, limited government, rule of law, civil discourse, checks and balances.

Instead of reinforcing these tenets, they’re being chipped away by leaders and movements claiming to fight for the very system they undermine.

“The constitutional system was designed for bad times, not only good times,” wrote Jonathan Turley, law professor at George Washington University. “It doesn’t protect us from political divisions any more than good medical care protects us from cancer. Rather it allows the body politic to survive political afflictions by pushing factions toward negotiation and moderation.”

The system the Framers established wasn’t supposed to be easy or efficient; it was designed to withstand heated political conflicts and the passions of the moment. Today, some seem eager to push those limits.

“Stop Trump to save democracy.” What does this really mean? What are the implications when you truly believe one man is a genuine, existential threat to democracy?

Our system works because it thrives on debate and the exchange of opposing views. It’s built to absorb the clash of ideas, not collapse underneath it. If you don’t like a leader, vote them out. Campaign harder. Argue your case. But never resort to violence. Violence won’t save democracy — it will only betray it.

The Founders established checks and balances in the Constitution to contain public passions and ensure no person or group can wield unchecked power.

“(W)hat is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?” James Madison asked in Federalist No. 51. “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.”

The “Father of the Constitution” understood that government is necessary because human beings are fallible creatures. His deep study of history taught him that same human nature demands external controls (regular elections) and internal checks on government, too, such as three branches of government.

The Constitution provides tools for resolving political conflicts and protecting liberty without violence. No one gets to take up arms and force change themselves.

While this assassination attempt is another example of extremism, it provides an essential lesson. Disregarding the Constitution risks everything.

When leaders insist on framing political opponents as the “greatest threat to our democracy,” is anyone really surprised it keeps coming to this?

Abandoning civil discourse for partisan rancor leaves democracy in tatters — and justifying political violence in a so-called battle for democracy erodes the very ideals it claims to protect.

Today is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the 1787 signing of the most profound governing document in human history. Constitution Day reminds us to recommit ourselves to the nation’s founding principles — principles that have heretofore stood the test of time — and to recognize that political power is fleeting, but constitutional governance must endure.

The republic won’t be saved by one political figure or another, just as it won’t fall because of Trump or Harris alone. Rather, it needs saving by every one of us — from rhetoric that divides, extremes that rationalize violence and the temptation to believe the rules only apply to “the other team.”

We are all stewards of the Constitution, charged with the civic duty to keep the republic, not undermine it — just as Benjamin Franklin called us to do.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCente