Let This Be the Death Knell for American Exceptionalism

This essay argues that with the 2024 reelection of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the concept of “American exceptionalism” should be put to rest once and for all. The essay traces some of the history of the idea of American exceptionalism, paying particular attention to how it has been deployed in American political rhetoric over the past twenty years or so. During Trump’s first presidential campaign, some observers noted that Trump was the only major political figure who did not embrace the idea of American exceptionalism, noting that then-President Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s fellow Republican presidential candidates, all asserted the special nature of the United States. This essay argues that such perceptions were a misreading of Trump’s rhetoric and beliefs, an argument supported by Trump’s later embrace of American exceptionalism. The essay further argues that the rise of Trump, when viewed alongside a global retreat from the values of liberal democracy, reveals that there is nothing special, unique, or exceptional about the United States.