Poll Finds Most Democrats Not Proud to Be American

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, a new poll suggests Americans remain sharply divided over one basic question: How proud are they to be U.S. citizens?
According to a Marist poll released Wednesday, Republicans overwhelmingly say they are proud to be Americans, while Democratic respondents report significantly lower levels of national pride. The survey found that just 45% of Democrats described themselves as either “very proud” or “proud” to be U.S. citizens.
By comparison, 93% of Republican respondents said they were proud Americans, making Republicans more than twice as likely as Democrats to express pride in their citizenship. Among Independents, 61% said they were proud of being American.
The poll arrives only days before the country marks its 250th birthday and comes at a time when the Democratic Party appears to be undergoing political changes following several socialist candidates winning primary elections over the past week.
The Marist findings also mirror results from other recent polling that has shown a sizable partisan gap on the issue of national pride.
A 2025 Gallup poll found a similar divide, with 92% of Republicans expressing pride in being American compared to 36% of Democrats. Gallup’s numbers also showed a notable shift among Democrats from the previous year, when 62% said they were proud Americans while Joe Biden was serving as president. Republican pride also increased over that period, rising from 85% in 2024 to 92% in the 2025 survey.
Another survey conducted this year by YouGov likewise found a wide gap between the parties. According to that poll, 96% of Republicans said they were proud Americans, while 58% of Democrats said the same.
As preparations continue for the nation’s anniversary celebration, President Donald Trump has promoted several events tied to the milestone. Last month, he spearheaded the UFC “Freedom 250” fights at the White House. He also shifted plans toward hosting a large rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend after several music artists withdrew from a concert series associated with the celebration.
Not everyone has embraced the upcoming anniversary with enthusiasm.
On cable news, MS NOW host Ali Velshi recently said he feels a “deep unease” about celebrating America’s founding this year, citing what he described as the nation’s “unresolved racial politics.”
During an appearance on MS NOW last weekend, Princeton legal scholar Eddie Glaude also expressed reservations about the celebration, saying he has “great trepidation” about commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday because he believes the country is being “destroyed” by Trump and White racism.
“I’ve been struggling with, what are we actually celebrating?” Glaude asked during the discussion.
He went on to criticize several recent actions by Trump, including Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which Glaude argued granted the president “outsized executive power.”
Several entertainers have also voiced criticism of the country in recent comments.
Actor Richard Gere, who now lives outside the United States, said he is “ashamed” of America and compared the nation to Nazi Germany for electing Trump. Fellow actor Robert De Niro similarly criticized the current political climate, saying, “In the current climate, declaring love for our country is like an abused spouse professing love for their abuser.”
The Marist poll was conducted from June 8 through June 11 in partnership with NPR and PBS News. The survey included 1,340 Americans ages 18 and older and was conducted by telephone.