It may be due to an increase in distrust. I know that I'm less trustful of others now because so many people hide their racism and bigotry and homophobia and xenophobia. As soon as you start thinking they're a decent person... out comes the MAGA hat (figuratively speaking). I just want to ask people (though I don't) up front if they voted for/supported Trump so I can know not to waste time on them if they did.

Religions are all about lying; lying to others and lying to oneself. The US has embraced lying and religion with uncommon fervor. So yes, this is a nation of liars.

The rebellious colonies created a Continental Congress that was imbued with the power to raise an army, prosecute war, and enter into treaty agreements with foreign powers. Inn order to entice volunteers, promises were made including pay, food, clothing, and blankets. Records indicate soldiers rarely received sufficient of any of the materials. Later, promises were made of land grants on the frontier and less than 10% of the land grants to individuals were ever produced an acre of land to the original recipients. Land grant papers were ignored by the various states long after the war was over until their value dropped to pocket change. Several wealthy parties joined together in schemes and bought the worthless grants up. When they controlled hundreds of thousands of acres, they went to Congress and sued with their political cronies (many involved in the scheme) to have the grants fulfilled. Much of that land was then sold back to the soldiers and their families at 100x profit. (Unfulfilled promises to veterans is the norm to this day) The same goes with the first treaty written with France. We swore to back them against the English as they backed us against the English, but the day we signed the peace treaty we broke the treaty with France. The Continental Congress wrote treaties with the Cherokee Nations and the Cherokee were exceptional allies during the revolution, only to have the United States evict them from their own lands subsequently.

Are we a nation of liars? Yes. Facts of history prove American Exceptionalism is a lie.

The last five years are not at all unusual when looked through the lens of history.

I'm even more afraid that as a result of the liars we've become a nation of murderers. Americans are killing each other at an alarming rate for no reasons other than pure hate and fear.