I often wonder what it was like to live in an America where nearly everyone, regardless of party, was proud to call this country home. Republicans and Democrats fought bitterly over taxes, war, and the size of government, yet those fights took place within a shared belief that America was worth fighting over. A man could vote for the other guy and still stand for the national anthem with his hand over his heart, and nobody wondered whether his neighbor across the aisle wanted the country to succeed.
That America feels far away now, and things just keeps getting worse.
Hating America used to be cool if you were on the left, something rebellious, contrarian, and edgy. Now it's practically a requirement, and the numbers show it with a clarity I find genuinely disheartening.
In June, CNN's Harry Enten walked through polling on national pride, and what he found went deeper than a partisan gap. It revealed a Democrat Party that has fundamentally changed what it thinks of this country. Among Republicans, 93% said they are extremely or very proud to be American, and just 1% reported little or no pride. That is a healthy, grounded relationship with the country that raised them.
Democrats tell a much sadder story.
Only 27% said they are extremely or very proud to be American, which would be troubling enough on its own. Enten then pointed out something worse. For the first time ever, Democrats who feel little or no pride in being American now outnumber those who feel extremely or very proud.
Within the party, the patriots have become the minority.
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Now Gallup has shed more light on the problem. In a poll released Sunday, respondents chose three of 12 values the country "most needs today," including "kindness," "freedom," and "integrity." Republicans ranked patriotism first at 46%, ahead of "responsibility" at 41% and "honesty" at 38%. Democrats ranked it last among all 12. Only 6% placed patriotism among their top three, while "equality" led at 44%, followed by "fairness" at 34% and "honesty" at 32%.
New Gallup poll asks "which values the country most needs today?" Out of a list of 12 values, Republicans put "patriotism" #1, for Dems it ranks dead last - by a lot. Dems say "equality" is most needed, Republicans rank it 11th out of 12. https://t.co/UmyUjVptnD
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) October 26, 2026
These polls reveal some uncomfortable truths.
A party that has lost its pride in the country and wants to upend it deserves a long, hard look. Being against the United States is a feature, not a bug, of the Democrat Party. So electing Democrats to positions of power, or failing to vote against them, is literally an act against our country.
It would be nice to believe that even when the parties disagree, they are both acting out of love for their country. Maybe it was like that at one point in my lifetime, but clearly it isn’t anymore. And what a shame that is. Americans have always argued, sometimes fiercely, and the republic has endured every one of those quarrels. Patriotism was the ground both sides stood on while they argued. When one party walks away from that common ground, every election becomes a battle in which the future of the republic hangs by a thread.
