The True Face of America?

The true face of America – that is what Iran called Trump. There is no love lost between our two nations (I am blessed with Iranian friends who translate my work, so I mean the ruling politicals of both nation). But so: Trump symbolizes the ugly American—a marauding, selfish jingoist who rolls over anyone and anything that does not serve him. I read my share of Noam Chomsky (politics, not linguistics), and despite the dirty tricks and black ops and regime changes, I still believed we were a great nation, flawed but still honorable, still great. Is Trump an outgrowth of who we really are, or a fluke of tweeting and too much TV? Have we been developing into an authoritarian state all along, or is Trump anomalous (and soon gone, I hope)?