The American Spirit

"We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." – Yamamoto

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"It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."

Those were the words Teddy Roosevelt uttered only moments after being shot point- blank by a would-be assassin attempting his own brand of "election interference."

On that fateful day in Milwaukee, the "Bull Moose's" life was spared only because he had placed the 50-page speech he was about to deliver, along with his steel spectacle case, in the very breast pocket where an assassin's bullet struck him, just moments later. Whether one wishes to believe that was coincidence, blind luck, or divine providence, the fact of the matter remains: Had the bullet struck him one inch to either side, the flesh wound would have instead been certain death.

Those words, much like that event, were on the minds of many as they watched yet another great president shot by a would-be assassin's bullet. And like the bull moose, this president showed an American grit and courage that would have made Roosevelt proud. He stood up, and with blood on his face (as well as a look of defiance) raised his fist into the air, and told his supporters to "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

As time passed and analysis of the event brought forward new information, the public found that, like with Roosevelt, it was a moment of divine intervention that spared the president's life. Once again, an unpredictable decision and less than an inch became the difference between life and death. This time it was a chart rather than a speech and spectacles; but if not for that small turn of his head, we would be mourning an incalculable loss today.

Many questions remain to be answered surrounding the events of July 13 and the anger among those who smell something is off with how events occurred is not to be dismissed. Something worth a pause for consideration is the emotion felt by all who watched that fateful moment. Within seconds, we saw a reawakening of the American Spirit that continues even now, spawned by Trump's fearless grit in the face of life-threatening danger.

As Mark Twain once wrote, "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."

As Trump stood, head and shoulders above the secret service agents around him, fist pumping in the air, we were reminded of how America seems to find its best self in the most severe moments of pain and danger. While some see danger and avoid it; when truly threatened, Americans run with fire and fury toward it — making danger itself fear for its safety.

Perhaps waiting until the most severe moments is an example of the infamously sardonic quote, often attributed to Churchill, that "Americans will always do the right thing after every alternative is exhausted." Part of the reason for this might be that the rugged individualism so admired by Americans often turns into proverbial "cat herding" if ever one wants to unite them to ward off a threat.

We've seen this over the last decade in how long it has taken for conservatives alone, not to mention more centrist Christians and liberals, to recognize how dire the cultural situation in the West has become.

However, when finally united, the collective strength of so many rugged individuals becomes an unstoppable force.

General George S. Patton, the man known affectionately by his soldiers as "old blood and guts," once said, "Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory."

Trump showed he was exactly that kind of leader. The kind of leader whose men will follow him across the Rubicon, even if the future seems uncertain. The kind of leader whose men would stay even in the cold winters of Valley Forge. The kind of leader whose men follow because they believe he will stop at nothing but victory. But not just any victory. What makes a great leader is the victory for which he fights is one that all his followers also desire. He is doing it for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is them.

We saw this in the aftermath of the attack on his life when thousands of veterans took to X (formerly Twitter) to offer their services to protect their president. We saw this when millions of Americans supported him financially, and in spirit, during his numerous sham trials. And Dana White summed it up well when he said Trump is "the ultimate American Badass."

That is why Americans support him. That is why when he was attacked, Americans felt like it was an attack on America. Many Americans said they felt similar to the way they did after 9/11. Because like all great leaders, Trump is them, he is fighting for them.

When he first ran in 2016, he told them it was OK to be a patriot, to be "America First," and to care about their children's future. In a world that was telling the American people that they were evil to even consider that, those words stood out like a bright light in darkness. He was unashamed to stand for his people, and for that reason, his people have been unashamed to stand for him ever since.

He embodies the American Spirit. The spirit that built a continent, that pioneered harsh environments and braved savage enemies. It is the spirit that took on empires and forged a unique nation — one of the most unique in the history of the world. It is the spirit that created the car, air travel, and put man on the moon. It is the spirit for which no task is too daunting. The spirit that, to paraphrase David McCullough, drives some men to reach for the stars while others never even look up.

I believe that in the darkest hour, something within Americans awakens, some deep-dwelling brilliant fury that is kept under lock and key; except for in the most dire of situations.

I believe the emotions and fervor felt by all patriotic Americans on July 13 has awakened the fire that lies within, and the evil that has run amuck in this world for so long is about to see how truly fearsome is American resolve.

Unlike the vast majority of nations and peoples around the world, Americans are unique in this. With the German technical mind and ability, the Anglo-Saxon sense of freedom, the Scotch-Irish sense of rebellion, and the centuries-deep culmination of Western civilization as their founding mythos, Americans have something the rest have yet to gain – the best qualities of the best nations, of the greatest civilization that has yet graced this planet. A destiny ready to be manifest.

Who knew it would be another tycoon from New York who would reignite the American fire?

Arthur is a former editor and consultant. Born in India to missionary parents, he spent his early career working in development for NGOs in Asia, Central America, and Africa.

Arthur has an educational background in history and psychology, with certifications from the University of Oxford and Leiden in the economics, politics, and ethics of mass migration and comparative theories in terrorism and counterterrorism. He is currently launching CivWest, a company focused on building capital to fund restorative projects and create resilient systems across the Western world.

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