I've been saying this several times all over the forum:
Our government has become what our forefathers feared the most.
The American republic arguably died a long time ago. In hindsight, its transformation into the US empire could be easily seen with the legal/illegal acquisition of territory that expanded beyond the original thirteen colonies and outside the continental US as well as all of the wars of aggression, color revolutions / regime changes, etc. it has participated without the consent of its citizenry.
It was domestically, however, the imperialist oligarchy (Power Okole, ultrawealthy, etc.) that run the US empire purposely proceeded very slowly so to not trigger a violent people-led revolution. The steady erosion of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights are indicative with that. Unfortunately, the oligarchy has accumulated so much power that is has successfully divided most of its citizenry both on the left and right to ensure that there will be no popular uprising to change the status quo.
Trump's presidency was the last chance for a reverse from empire back into a republic. Notice how Trump was anti-NATO. Had he not been overthrown; America would not be goading Russia and China into WWIII. Sadly, with the last patriot remnants of the long-since-gone American republic unable to take back their nation by means other than the ballot box, all hope is truly lost...