WASHINGTON — A Montana veteran has some festive plans in store for America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Duane Mitchell, 78, has restored a 1954 Chevrolet pickup truck decked out in red, white, and blue, and plans to drive it in local Fourth of July parades. To mark the historic occasion, he added a decorative eagle to the back of the truck along with American flags.
“I’ll be driving my pickup,” Mitchell said of his parade role. “Usually we freeze a whole bunch of candy, and I have a couple of kids from down the block who get in the back and throw candy out. Everybody loves it.”
Mitchell is far from alone in his enthusiasm. A new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults say “proud” describes how they feel about the country’s 250th anniversary, while about 3 in 10 say they feel “excited.” President Donald Trump has planned several commemorative events for the nation’s capital, including a fair on Washington’s National Mall.
However, the celebrations come with complicated emotions for many Americans. Separate Gallup polling shows that a majority of Americans now believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed with how the country has developed — a significant shift from 25 years ago.
The enthusiasm breaks down sharply along political lines. About 7 in 10 Republicans say they feel proud about the anniversary, compared to roughly 3 in 10 independents and about 2 in 10 Democrats. Around 54% of Republicans also say they feel excited. Older Americans — those 60 and above — lean heavily toward pride as well, with about 6 in 10 saying that word captures their feelings.
Mitchell, a Vietnam War veteran who was drafted into military service, wants the nation to be “celebrating it to the maximum.” He says the anniversary should serve as a reminder of those who gave their lives for American freedoms.
“It was a sacrifice,” Mitchell said of his service. “The most important thing about the celebration is understanding that freedom is not free, and it never will be free, so you need to celebrate that.”
New Gallup polling also finds that most Americans — about 7 in 10 — believe the country has succeeded “a great deal” or “a fair amount” in living up to the ideals it was founded on. That view is shared across party lines, though Republicans are the most likely to say the country has succeeded.
Democrats and younger Americans are more likely to describe their feelings as conflicted or indifferent. About 4 in 10 Democrats and roughly 3 in 10 adults under 30 say “conflicted” describes their emotions extremely or very well, while about 3 in 10 in each group say they feel “indifferent.”
Laura Davis, a 44-year-old progressive liberal from Chicago, said she has struggled this year with what she calls the “American declarations of grandiosity” — pointing to things like White House ballroom construction and the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. She believes that money could be better directed toward Americans in need and international aid, and she worries about the country’s global reputation.
“It doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the things that do make America a unique and in some ways exceptional place to be,” Davis said. “But I think it’s more nuanced than that, and I hope that doesn’t get lost in the celebration.”
Perhaps most striking is a shift in how Americans view the founders’ expectations. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults now say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed in how the country has turned out, with only about 2 in 10 saying they would be pleased. That’s a dramatic change from 1999 — the first time Gallup asked the question — when 55% believed the founders would be disappointed and 44% thought they would be pleased.
Sydney Crispin, a 39-year-old Democrat from Maine, says she believes the country’s “incredible” foundation is worth honoring, but she is troubled by what she sees as a deterioration in respectful public conversation — something she views as central to American identity. She hopes communities will find a way to both celebrate America’s strengths and honestly reflect on its shortcomings this Fourth of July.
As for how people plan to mark the occasion, a recent Gallup-With Honor poll found that just under half of U.S. adults — 44% — plan to spend the anniversary with friends or family. About 3 in 10 say they’ll watch coverage of America 250 events on television or social media. Adults 65 and older are especially likely to celebrate with loved ones or tune in to coverage, while adults under 30 are more likely than other age groups to say they have no plans to celebrate at all.
The same poll found about 2 in 10 adults plan to take part in a neighborhood or community event, while approximately 1 in 10 say they’ll attend an official America 250 event.
Lyle Nelson, a 67-year-old from Idaho, said he plans to stick with his usual tradition of watching the annual Macy’s fireworks show from home. Nelson, who says he agrees with much of what Trump has done in office, offered a thought about the president’s connection to this historic moment.
“I wonder if he’s thankful that he gets to be president during the 250th anniversary,” Nelson said. “I think he’ll be excited for that.”
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 2,596 adults from April 16–20, drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. The Gallup-With Honor poll surveyed 3,199 adults from May 12–22, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. A separate Gallup poll of 1,001 adults conducted May 1–17 carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
