It's hard not to feel a pang of sadness watching what's happened to the American left. There was a time when loving this country wasn't a partisan position, when the flag and the Fourth of July belonged to everyone, not just one side of the aisle. Yet, sadly, that is no loner the case. This comes just ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary, a milestone that should have every American feeling something close to awe. Yet, somewhere along the way, the Democrat Party traded that affection for resentment, and the numbers prove it. How did the party that used to love this country become an anti-American party?
And let’s not pretend that hasn’t happened.
A new NBC News poll found that fewer than 30% of Democrats say they are extremely or very proud to be an American. Instead, Democrats are more likely to trust colleges and universities than they are to trust the U.S. military, according to the same poll. Read that combination again. The institutions producing gender studies majors and campus intifada encampments rank higher in Democrat trust than the men and women who defend this country.
The partisan divide is huge. While only 29% of Democrats say they're proud to be American, about 90% of Republicans say the same.
Age makes a difference, too. Roughly three-quarters of Americans 65 and older say they feel proud of their country. Among adults 18 to 34, that number craters to just 36%.
A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll, reviewed by CNN's Harry Enten, found nearly identical results, which means this isn't a fluke or a one-off survey from a single outlet with an agenda.
"One of the most stunning divides that we have seen," Enten said of the polarization. He noted that the divide starts with the basic question of what July 4th even means. "You see the clear majority say it's a time to celebrate America, 65% among Democrats," Enten said of Republicans, before pointing out that Democrats feel differently. "However, the plurality disagree."
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The flag tells the same story. Enten pulled data going back to July 2001, when 68% of Republicans and 65% of Democrats said they'd display the American flag on the Fourth. "Republicans basically are where they were 25 years ago, right? 64%," Enten said. "But look at that Democratic percentage absolutely plummeting. Just 27% of Democrats say they will, in fact, display the flag on July 4th."
And on pride itself, the collapse is staggering. Back in January 2001, fresh off a bitterly contested election, 90% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats said they were extremely or very proud to be American. "You come over to this side of the screen in 2026," Enten said. "The Democratic percentage absolutely plummets to just 29%." Republicans haven't moved an inch. Democrats have fallen to roughly a third of where they stood 25 years ago.
CNN: "Just 27 percent of Democrats say they'll display the flag on July 4th ... just 29 percent of Democrats say they’re extremely, or very proud, to be an American." pic.twitter.com/EITuYqNRiU
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 17, 2026
Make no mistake about it: This isn't a both-sides problem. Republicans are the ones still hanging the flag, still celebrating the country's birthday, still proud of America. Democrats have spent the last quarter-century talking themselves out of loving their own country, and the data proves it. Heading into America's 250th birthday, one party is showing up, and the other is still trying to figure out why anyone would bother celebrating at all.
Now that we’ve established that Democrats hate America, it’s time to ask the big question: Why?
I'll explain that in Part 2.
