What you are hearing is Charles Ives in political cloth.

Americans do NOT trust the government. But we do trust some of the people who make it up, sometimes even after they have lied to us. It's institution vs. personality. The Constitution, our fundamental document, is almost sacred, though the political processes it governs are mostly gritty, and sometimes venal. So we have Constitution:government:political figures::sacred:profane:personal. It's very complicated, with a high degree of emotion factored in.

Britain has the royal family, and also the Prime Minister. We have the First Family, and it's all kind-of mashed together. So there's an emotional investment in the President as a symbol, and not just as a politician.

And now we're at war. There's tremendous pressure to circle the wagons and support the Commander-In-Chief when we're at war. He's also the Head of State, the Lead Politician, the Chief Executive, and the First Daddy. I'm not sure I'd call it trust. Maybe tribalism is closer to the truth, but that's not quite it either.

Regards--
Mary Anne