Plus the quote from the Newsroom overly romanticizes our past. If the point is we are not perfect, then that is 100% true. No person, no country ever was perfect. Even the founding fathers were not perfect. Even the "greatest generation" was not perfect. They all had their flaws and we should learn from them and never repeat them. We never were perfect and probably never will be.
But over all I would rather be here than anywhere else.
But anyone looking back at, say, 1945 can say that we were Great at some points in our history. We beat Hitler, we beat Tojo, we had the only big industrialized economy that wasn't destroyed in the war. Only we had atomic weapons. Then we went on to face down communism in the Cold War and we caused the Soviet Union to collapse without making that cold war get hot.
We were Great.
But we have lost the country, at least for now. Globalism, diversity and political correctness have turned this country into something I no longer recognize.
But we can Make America Great Again and there is no shame is stating that desire. Those on the Left who hear a dog whistle of racism in that goal are actually a huge part of the problem. They are the reason we are not currently Great. They need to be defeated.
It is not perfection people should seek because it is not achievable.
But exceptionalism is and it is something everyone should strive for.
As in, "President Trump is not perfect but he is exceptional."