Red, white, and blue are shifting to red and blue.
As Americans gear up for Independence Day, a new poll reveals that patriotism is increasingly seen as a divisive issue.
A survey from National Research Inc., a GOP firm based in New Jersey, indicates that 91% of Republicans identify as patriots, in stark contrast to only 50% of Democrats.
The findings show that 90% of Trump supporters consider themselves patriots, while just 55% of Kamala Harris supporters feel the same way.
Additionally, 87% of self-identified conservatives view themselves as patriots, compared to 51% of liberals.
Adam Geller, who founded National Research and has experience with Trump’s 2016 campaign, suggests these sentiments might stem from lingering feelings from the election. He emphasizes the importance of feeling proud to be American, even amidst political differences.
Geller’s research aligns with other national sentiment polls. For instance, a recent Gallup study shows that only 36% of Democrats describe themselves as “very” proud to be American, a dramatic drop from 62% in 2024, marking the lowest level observed this century.
Among independents, 53% express a strong sense of American pride, a decline of 7 percentage points from the previous year.
Conversely, 92% of Republicans report feeling proud, with an increase of 7 points.
Overall, only 58% of those surveyed consider themselves very or extremely proud Americans, reflecting a 9-point decrease from last year.
Gallup notes that in January 2001, 87% of adults felt a strong sense of pride, which even jumped to 91% after the September 11 attacks.
The data also suggests that Gen Z displays notably lower national pride, with only 41% identifying as proud Americans, compared to 58% of millennials, 71% of Gen X, and 75% of baby boomers.
Geller remarked, “It’s an amazing discovery and it’s calming down,” hinting at a sense of relief in these findings.
This decline in pride occurs as the country approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026 amidst ongoing partisan divisions.
Geller pointed out, “On average, the left is about 50% proud of America. Why is that? I’m still figuring that out.”
The survey conducted by Geller included 1,000 registered voters from June 21-23, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.
Gallup’s survey included 1,000 adults from June 2-19, with a margin of error of ±4.0 percentage points.
