There have been a lot of changes in the second Trump administration, as we all know. But there was one change from the very beginning that hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as it should. It’s when Trump stood up during his inauguration speech and invoked the idea of Manifest Destiny, which is of course deeply rooted in the idea of American exceptionalism.
For the first time in many generations, a U.S. president felt no shame in proclaiming that America is the greatest nation on the planet. And crucially, Donald Trump didn’t make this proclamation as a platitude. He wasn’t seeking to get a quick sound bite out of it, by reminding people of history class when they heard terms like “Manifest Destiny” and American exceptionalism. Instead, Trump meant it, in a practical sense. We’re the best nation, he said. And therefore we can do what we want. We can impose tariffs and force everyone to the negotiating table. We can deport criminals and ignore corrupt judges who tell us otherwise. In a matter of weeks, we can eliminate bureaucracy, talk about acquiring Greenland, and become energy independent — which is no small thing when the entire continent of Europe teeters on the verge of a blackout. We can do all of these things because, in very real terms, we are unique. Period. We have a fighting spirit that no other nation on the planet can match.
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