Description
The belief in American exceptionalism has its historical roots back in the Colonial period, emphasizing uniqueness and superiority of American nation in the world history. This has served as an ideological impulse to divide “New World” territories and “Old European” continents. The narrative of American exceptionalism began with a metaphorical expression made by John Winthrop who described the Puritan community as “a City upon a Hill” in 1630 but this has changed over time. This article aims to demonstrate the belief in American exceptionalism is a core component of American identity to uphold U.S. foreign policy objectives, but such a diplomatic convention has been corroded by the caprices of President Donald Trump in foreign policy activities. As a result, I argue that Trump’s ideological fantasy has gone out of the myth of American exceptionalism embraced by most of his predecessors. This article will first explain the origin of the narrative and how it has developed over time. Based on historical generalization, American exceptionalism was to reduce internal contradictions that motivated policy but Trump on the other hand tried to widen internal contradictions that hardened American identity. The article reaches into a conclusion that the discrepancies between his antagonism and lofty slogan presented inconsistency in nature which made him out of the conventional trajectory pattern of American exceptionalism.
