Not that I am an expert. But, Rt is the "real time" R0 value. And I don't think the Rt is over 2 anywhere in the US right now. R0 or Rt will also differ by location. It's not a measure of how infectious a virus is. It takes into account human behavior and patterns. So to say the US has a R0 of X seems limited in it's utility.
Anyway, I don't disagree with the main point of your post. But I don't think the answer is black and white.