It is pretty much my thinking too, the US state just loves putting the blame of their atrocities on a single individual to whitewash themselves, just a few rotten apples! don't mind the entire state apparatus (media included because it is part of the state) serving them unquestionably nor the entire military infrastructure in the region, that didn't just materialize when Trump won elections.

Libs love pushing the narrative about how democratic the US state is and all the mechanisms to stop tyranny and whatever, but they do seem to quickly drop all of that behind whenever the capitalist class decides to wage war.