Independents’ Pride Hits Rock Bottom

As America turns 250, nearly half the country now calls itself independent, yet their pride in being American has slipped to the weakest levels Gallup has ever recorded.

Story Snapshot

Gallup finds only 28% of independents are extremely proud to be American, a record low.
Overall high pride among independents has fallen to 53%, continuing a two-decade slide.
Independents now make up 45% of adults, so their fading patriotism affects the nation’s future.
Patriotism has become sharply partisan, with a huge gap between Republicans and everyone else.

Independents’ Pride Hits Rock Bottom

Gallup’s latest polling, released ahead of America’s 250th birthday, shows national pride at its lowest point in 25 years. Only 33% of adults say they are “extremely proud” to be American, down eight points from last year’s reading. Within that drop, independents stand out. Just 28% of independents report extreme pride in their country, compared with 70% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats, marking a new low for the independent group.

When Gallup combines “extremely proud” and “very proud,” only 51% of independents now show high levels of pride. A related Gallup report from the year before put that high-pride share for independents at 53%, itself described as a record low and seven points below the prior year. That means independent pride has not just dipped for one bad year; it has been stuck in low gear, sliding steadily instead of bouncing back.

How Patriotism Became a Partisan Marker

Gallup’s trend line tells a bigger story that reaches beyond one poll. After the September 11 attacks, extreme pride peaked near 70% in the early 2000s, but the share of Americans feeling that way has drifted down over the last two decades. Analysts note that this erosion followed years of political fights, culture wars, economic shocks, and debates over what “patriotism” even means. In that climate, national pride began to track more with party identity than shared American values.

Data from Gallup show that independents’ pride has been weakening for years, not just under one president or one Congress. Their high pride fell below 80% in 2005, then below 70% in 2019, and now sits under 60%. Meanwhile, Republicans’ pride has stayed strong and stable, usually above 90% and still in the 90s today. Democrats’ pride, by contrast, has dropped sharply and is now at new lows, with only 27% saying they are extremely or very proud. Independents are caught in the middle of these partisan crosswinds.

The Rise of Independents and What It Means

At the same time pride is falling, more Americans are walking away from both major parties. Gallup reports that 45% of adults now identify as political independents, the highest share in its polling history. This number surpasses earlier peaks and shows a clear trend toward frustration with traditional party labels. When nearly half the country chooses “independent,” their views on patriotism matter greatly for elections, policy debates, and the health of the culture.

Yet independents are not a simple bloc. Gallup’s public summaries do not spell out how many are “pure” independents versus those who lean toward one party, or how large the independent subgroup sample is. Without that detail, outside analysts cannot easily check the margin of error on that 28% extreme pride figure or compare it cleanly with other polls. That leaves the door open for media spin and partisan talking points that may not match the full complexity of the data.

Generational Shifts and Civic Drift

Generational patterns deepen the concern. Gallup finds that Generation Z and millennials are far less proud of the country than baby boomers and the oldest Americans. Among older generations, pride remains strong and common, but among younger adults pride is weaker and more uncertain. Democrats’ pride has fallen in every generation over the last decade, and younger Democrats show some of the biggest drops, signaling real trouble for long-term civic attachment.

𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐏: 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑-𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝟑𝟑% 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝐓𝐇

Just months before the nation's 250th birthday, 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐩 reports that only 𝟑𝟑% of Americans now say they're 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 to… pic.twitter.com/8WhtEiUvP2

— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) July 9, 2026

Many independents come from these younger age groups, where people say they do not feel represented by either party. For them, low pride may reflect anger at government overreach, endless culture fights, or a belief that leaders in both parties have failed to defend the Constitution and basic fairness. The polls cannot fully sort whether their answer is “low pride” or “deep disappointment,” but the result is the same: fewer independents feel that being American is central to who they are.

Polling Gaps and Conflicting Narratives

Not every survey reports the exact same number, which fuels debate over what is really happening. An NPR/PBS/Marist poll finds that about one-third of independents say they are extremely proud, slightly higher than Gallup’s 28%. Social posts summarizing Gallup findings mention similar figures, sometimes rounding independents’ extreme pride to 33%. The differences are small, but critics use them to question methods or accuse certain pollsters of pushing a narrative.

Gallup explains in general how its polls work, including random dialing, weighting, and careful question design. However, its public patriotism reports do not yet provide full technical details for the independent subgroup, such as exact sample sizes and confidence ranges. Some analysts call for releasing those full technical appendices and doing deeper cross-tabs by age and party lean, which would help separate true independents from hidden partisans and clarify whether “less patriotic” is the right label or an oversimplified headline.

What Conservatives Should Watch

For constitutional conservatives, these numbers are both warning and opportunity. On one hand, a country where half the people are independent yet unsure about their pride is a country where civic bonds are fraying and where respect for founding principles may weaken. On the other hand, many independents are frustrated with the same things conservatives have long opposed: unchecked spending, politicized institutions, and leaders who treat love of country as something to mock rather than honor.

If patriotism keeps turning into a partisan badge instead of a shared duty, the gap between proud Republicans and skeptical independents will only grow. That would leave the field open for those who want to rewrite American history, dim respect for the founding, and normalize constant attacks on national symbols. Restoring honest civic education, defending the Constitution from creeping government power, and modeling healthy pride — not blind loyalty to any leader, but gratitude for the nation itself — are key steps if we want today’s independents to feel once again that being American is something to be proud of.