American exceptionalism always made me cringe, but it makes me cringe more the older I get. I hate how presidential candidates feel like they have to call the US the most powerful, the greatest, and so on.
True. One of the biggest parts of modern-day American exceptionalism is thinking that only America has these problems. People who claim to dislike America unknowingly put it on a pedestal as "the worst thing ever", without acknowledging the very similar problems in their own backyard.
The main point of American exceptionalism is that "America is different from other countries", to an advanced degree. Some people mean "good" when they say "different", but it's not necessary.
American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is either distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations.