President Joe Biden, fresh off a disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump, has more bad news to face. Currently, just two in five Americans, or 41%, report feeling “extremely proud” to be American on the country’s 248th birthday, marking the fifth consecutive year that this sentiment has ranged between 38% and 43%, according to Gallup.
Additionally, 26% of U.S. adults consider themselves “very proud,” which aligns with recent trends. Together, the combined total of those who feel “extremely” or very proud stands at 67%, which has been consistent since 2018 and only slightly above the record low of 63% observed in 2020. Historically, from 2001 to 2017, at least 75% of U.S. adults expressed extreme or very strong pride in being American, often with a majority feeling “extremely” proud.
Recent findings from a Gallup poll conducted between June 3-23 indicate that 18% of Americans consider themselves “moderately proud” to be American, while 10% feel “only a little” proud, and 5% are “not at all” proud. This data reflects a broader trend of declining extreme national pride, which has been noticeable since 2015. Notably, American patriotism reached its peak following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 but has since shown a downward trajectory.
“Republicans’ pride in America has consistently outpaced that of Democrats, while independents’ views have been closer to Democrats’,” Gallup reports. “Currently, 59% of Republicans, 34% of Democrats and 36% of independents say they are extremely proud to be American. The 25-point gap in extreme pride between Republicans and Democrats today is similar to the 28-point average gap since 2001. The latest difference between the two parties is less than half of the record-high gap — 54 points in 2019 — when an all-time low of 22% of Democrats expressed extreme pride.”
The polling firm adds: “While the percentage of U.S. adults who say they are extremely proud to be American is near the lowest point on record, about two-thirds continue to be at least very proud. Republicans’ national pride, though near its lowest point, remains high compared with Democrats’ and independents’, although all party groups are significantly less proud than they were 20 years ago.”
In a separate poll, Gallup found that the percentage of Americans identifying as Democrats has dropped to its lowest level since Gallup started tracking continuous party identification in 2004, with only 23% of surveyed individuals identifying as Democrats. Conversely, Republican identification stands at 25%. The survey also noted a record-high number of Americans identifying as independents, with 51% not aligning with any political party.
Historically, Democrats have usually held an advantage over Republicans regarding party identification during election cycles. For instance, in June 2016, when Donald J. Trump was elected president, 47% of respondents identified as Democrats, compared to 42% as Republicans. The gap was even wider in 2008, with 52% identifying as Democrats and only 40% as Republicans.
According to Gallup, Republican identification reached its lowest at 20% in October 2013. Before the recent record low, Democratic identification dipped to 24% in September of both 2022 and 2023 during President Biden’s term. As of the latest data from June, President Biden’s approval rating was 38%. His recent performance in the presidential debate, perceived as cognitively impaired, has raised concerns within his party, prompting fears that his candidacy might significantly advantage Trump in the upcoming election.
According to a new national poll conducted after last week’s presidential debate, former President Trump has taken the lead over President Biden in a potential 2024 election rematch. This follows Biden’s rough performance during Thursday’s face-to-face showdown between the two major party contenders.
In a USA Today/Suffolk University survey conducted Friday through Sunday and released on Tuesday, Trump has 41% support among registered voters nationwide, while Biden has 38%. The Democratic incumbent in the White House and his Republican predecessor were tied at 37% in the previous USA Today/Suffolk University poll, which was conducted in May.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.