They're emotionally stunted bullies who equate animosity and fear. Just like bully will assume that you're afraid of him if you ignore him, the US thinks "If they hate us, they must fear us, therefore it means we are strongest and bestest."
The concept of "soft power", which is what the US used to trade on, is completely alien to these idiots. All they know about "might makes right" is to use naked displays of it and then call themselves strong