This is the definition of democracy in Wikipedia: "Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitive elections while more expansive or maximalist definitions link democracy to guarantees of civil liberties and human rights in addition to competitive elections."
Once, the USA was the standard setter for maximalist democratic republics. We had functioning democratic institutions, civil society, and active engaged citizens (and aspiring citizens) taking direct action to petition their government for improvement. The past six months have severely hurt us.
You seem to have given up on your country. So how do you explain the recent rise of this ignorant socialist pretty boy running in Trump's home town?
I have not given up on my country. I work every day to reinvigorate democracy. I have zero confidence in our POTUS (and his party). It seems that voters in NYC are resonating with Mamdani's (I assume you mean NYC and not Palm Beach?) message & appeal to rational policymaking.