Yeah, he is intellectually and emotionally invested in it. It's also unfalsifiable. America has been running large debts forever but has only become bigger and more successful post Covid, whereas other countries have become weaker relatively speaking. I think his ego is too invested in this model of the world to let it go.
This is my personal view after reading his most recent book.
But the US has debt levels where it is basically impossible that everyone is going to get back what they put in. Somebody has been conned into making a donation without realising it. And the #1 strategy to deal with any crisis seems to be money printing. If that political culture remains ascendant then all the alternatives will have to have really screwed up. Which is sadly plausible when looking at China - but they wouldn't have to change much to start whipping the US.
I am not sure what metrics are you using to quantify success post covid for America. Trust in institutions are all time low, there is a mental health epidemic, supply chain is still a mess and America is finally giving in to the Chinese demands withdrawing (at least partially) trade tariffs and going back to largest trade deficits as well as lately caving to the Saudis. Following the debacles in Afghanistan and Ukraine war, there isn’t exactly a foreign policy strength that America is able to project.
In all measures, these aren’t exactly success but hey we are selling weapons at record pace to everyone else so that may be it.
Citation needed, not clear how America has become more successful post covid.