Americans are less proud and more divided than they were a few years ago ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned “America 250” festivities, according to recent polling data.
The latest Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey, conducted between May 1-18 among 5,469 adults, shows that just 51 percent of Americans now say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, a steep decline from 82 percent in 2013.
PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman told Newsweek the decline reflects a political system that isn’t solving people’s problems.
“This decline reflects a political system that is failing to meet most people’s needs or solve the fundamental problems they face—and a public discourse that has fractured into tribal factions, as Americans increasingly inhabit echo chambers that reinforce their own views and deepen hostility toward the other side,” Deckman said.
But views differ depending on political party. Most Republicans (83 percent) say they are extremely or very proud to be American, compared with 43 percent of independents and 31 percent of Democrats.
Unsurprisingly, pride is greater among groups that traditionally vote Republican. That includes White Americans (57 percent), White Americans without a college degree (64 percent), and older Americans (66 percent).
But among Black Americans—who increased their support for Republicans by 8 percentage points in 2024—reported pride fell from 43 percent to 35 percent.
It comes as Trump is rolling out a broad set of events and initiatives to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, branded as “Freedom 250.”
That includes a UFC event that was held on the White House grounds on Sunday, which happened to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday.
The already controversial event was marred when heavyweight fighter Josh Hokit launched a vile insult at Michelle Obama, calling the former first lady “a man” after defeating Derrick Lewis in the second round of their fight.
The celebrations will also include a large July 4, 2026 celebration in Washington, D.C., with fireworks, flyovers, concerts, and military participation, alongside a traveling “Great American State Fair.”
But Trump announced on Monday that he’s turning the celebration of America’s 250th birthday into a full-scale Trump rally on the National Mall on the Fourth of July.
“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ‘TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,’” Trump wrote on X.
The PRRI survey showed that only 49 percent of Americans say they are extremely or very proud of America’s 250 year history.
While Republicans have become substantially more likely to express pride since 1976 (61 percent to 82 percent), Democrats have moved in the opposite direction (46 percent to 28 percent).
Meanwhile, independents have remained largely unchanged (43 percent vs. 44 percent).
PRRI president and founder Robert P. Jones told Axios that the results show how divided the country is, and the starkly different levels of national pride between Republicans and other groups.
“What you really see is one vision of the country, and one mood among Republicans, and a very, very different vision of the country and mood among both independents and Democrats,” Jones said. “Yes, we’re polarized, but increasingly what we’re seeing is Republicans as outliers, and further and further from the middle.”
