In the lead-up to America's 250th anniversary, Gallup released polling data indicating a significant drop in national pride. Megan Brenan summarized the findings under the headline "American Pride Falls to 25-Year Record Low," based on responses to the question: "How proud are you to be an American—extremely proud, very proud, moderately proud, only a little proud, or not at all proud?"

Nick Gillespie, writing for Reason, noted that the decline in patriotism spans all age groups, not just younger generations like Gen Z and millennials. He also highlighted the volatility of patriotic sentiment among Democrats and Republicans, which tends to fluctuate with party control of the White House and Congress. Since 2001, Republicans have consistently reported higher levels of extreme pride in being American, though their pride dips when Democrats hold power. Democrats' pride peaked during Barack Obama's first term but fell sharply from 34% in 2024 to a record low of 14% in 2026.

A particularly notable trend is among political independents, who now make up a record-high 45% of U.S. adults according to Gallup. Their extreme pride in being American has dropped from about two-thirds in 2004 to just 28% today. This decline among independents is linked to growing distrust in the federal government. Gallup's updated series on confidence in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as trust in the federal government's ability to handle domestic and international problems, shows massive long-term declines, accelerating over the past 15 years.

Gillespie also posed a rhetorical question about how these numbers might differ if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 presidential election, underscoring the impact of political leadership on patriotic sentiment.

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