A new Marist poll released Wednesday shows a wide partisan divide over how proud Americans say they are to be U.S. citizens, with Republicans expressing significantly higher levels of national pride than Democrats just days before the country marks its 250th birthday.
According to the survey, 93% of Republicans said they are either “very proud” or “proud” to be American citizens. Among Democrats, that number stood at 45%, while 61% of independents said they were proud to be Americans.
The findings arrive as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary and as the Democratic Party continues to navigate internal political shifts following several recent primary victories by socialist candidates.
The Marist poll is not the only recent survey to highlight a large gap between Republicans and Democrats on the question of patriotism.
A Gallup poll conducted in 2025 also found a substantial divide, with 92% of Republicans saying they were proud to be Americans compared with 36% of Democrats. Gallup’s previous survey in 2024, when Joe Biden was president, found 85% of Republicans expressing national pride, while 62% of Democrats said the same.
A separate YouGov poll this year reported similar results. According to that survey, 96% of Republicans described themselves as proud Americans, compared with 58% of Democrats.
The Marist survey was conducted from June 8 through June 11 in partnership with NPR and PBS News. Researchers surveyed 1,340 adults ages 18 and older by telephone.
President Donald Trump has made the nation’s 250th birthday a major focus, organizing several events tied to the anniversary.
Last month, Trump spearheaded the UFC “Freedom 250” fights at the White House as part of the celebration. He also shifted plans to host a major rally in Washington, D.C., this weekend after multiple musical performers withdrew from a concert series associated with the anniversary festivities.
While preparations for the milestone celebration continue, not everyone has embraced the occasion with enthusiasm.
On cable television, several commentators have expressed reservations about celebrating America’s founding this year.
MS NOW host Ali Velshi recently said he feels a “deep unease” about commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday because of what he described as the country’s “unresolved racial politics.”
Princeton legal scholar Eddie Glaude voiced similar concerns during an appearance on MS NOW last weekend, saying he has “great trepidation” about celebrating the anniversary because he believes the country is being “destroyed” by Trump and White racism.
“I’ve been struggling with, what are we actually celebrating?” Glaude said.
During his remarks, Glaude also criticized several recent developments involving Trump, including Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which he argued granted the president “outsized executive power.”
Several entertainment figures have also publicly criticized the country in recent years.
Actor Richard Gere, who now lives outside the United States, has said he is “ashamed” of America and compared the country to Nazi Germany for electing Trump.
Actor Robert De Niro has likewise been critical, saying, “In the current climate, declaring love for our country is like an abused spouse professing love for their abuser.”
The new polling underscores the stark political divide over national pride as Americans prepare to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday. While Republicans overwhelmingly report feeling proud of their country, Democrats are far less likely to say the same, according to the survey, highlighting the differing perspectives that continue to shape the national political conversation ahead of the historic anniversary.
[READ MORE: Trump Debuts New Air Force One on Trip to North Dakota Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday]
