“Existential threat to democracy,” “Jim Crow 2.0,” “subversion of the election” — we’ve been hearing these dramatic claims and accusations for nearly a decade, but they’re only getting louder as we approach the next election.

On Saturday, July 13th, a 20-year-old man attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in this year's presidential election, in Butler, Pennsylvania, putting the very existence of democracy under threat.

Amazingly, there is still no official explanation for this young man's motivation. Was he motivated by progressive Democrats and President Joe Biden's constant insistence that Trump is a threat to democracy? Inspired by Biden's comments that Trump should be “put at the center of the target”? Influenced by the constant repetition that “democracy is in danger” and “Trump must be stopped”?

The President is not alone in these hyperbolic statements. The same words, thoughts, ideas, and doomsday pronouncements have been uttered with increasing frequency by other progressive Democrats and by what is generally referred to as the mainstream media. And they are not limited to attacks on Trump, but applied liberally to any of the 50% of Americans who do not agree with the political and policy orthodoxy of this administration.

After the failed assassination attempt, there was immediate pressure from Biden and other politicians and commentators to “stay quiet,” followed by condemnation of the extreme rhetoric by Republicans. This continued for two full days, before eliciting calls to “stay quiet, but Trump and MAGA are evil and extreme and must be stopped.”

Take a deep breath. Trump served as President of the United States for four years. Democracy survived just fine, in fact it thrived. None of the outlandish predictions of authoritarianism, fascism, or racism came true. Overall, everyone is better off. Black and Hispanic unemployment is at an all-time low, incomes are rising, and America is greater than it has ever been.

But if Trump is not a “threat to democracy,” what is?

Political violence — in this case, the attempt to shoot a political opponent or the creation of an atmosphere that encourages this. Loafer — The use of the legal system against or incarceration of a political opponent.

But on a more personal level, anything that undermines or invalidates the vote through illegal voting is a threat to democracy..

Allowing foreigners and illegal immigrants to register to vote is a threat to democracy.

The installation of unmonitored ballot boxes that could allow for ballot tampering It is a threat to democracy.

Improperly maintained, Outdated and inaccurate voter rolls Threat to Democracy.

The failure of common sense voter ID requirements It is a threat to democracy.

Unsecure and unverifiable mail-in and absentee ballots are a threat to democracy.

Automatic voter registration is a threat to democracy.

Private funding for local election offices (Zuckerbucks) It is a threat to democracy.

Election administration procedures and practices that foster an environment prone to voter fraud, misappropriation, and mismanagement are a threat to democracy.

Voting should be easy and hard to cheat. Every voter should be confident that their vote counts, that it will be counted fairly and openly in secure and transparent elections, and that they can be satisfied with the outcome whether their candidate wins the vote or not.

Anything less poses an existential threat to democracy.

Ken Cuccinelli is a former Virginia Attorney General and Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security who now leads the Election Transparency Initiative.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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