Complex sentence: This desire to be seen as a benign, positive influence on teh word continues to the present, even while America appears to behave as an empire, its leaders refute the idea as a motivation for their policy.
Split into simpler sentences: This desire to be seen as a benign, positive influence on the world continues to the present. Even while America appears to behave as an empire, its leaders refute the idea as a motivation for their policy.