“Tasted a little tear gas— tasted like fascism”

Trump is delusional and a liar. But that isn't the main story. The main story is that he hasn't suffered any consequences for being delusional and a liar. And that's our fault. So Trump being delusional and a liar is a comment on us as much as it is on him.

American exceptionalism wasn't free. The costs were foreign aid, international security guarantees, helping and aiding allies etc etc... If America gives those up, so goes American exceptionalism...