Based and Red-Pilled? New Poll Shows MAGA Patriotism is Maxing Out Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday
While doom-posting Democrats and low-energy independents cry about democracy, actual patriots are feeling bullish about the future.
As the United States approaches its massive 250th anniversary milestone, a brand-new Fox News national poll is exposing a hilarious and massive divide between based, high-energy patriots and the perpetually online, black-pilled crowd. The data shows that while the usual suspects are weeping about founding ideals, traditional conservative patriotism is absolutely thriving.
The Great Principle Divide
When asked if America is successfully hitting its founding goals of liberty, equality, and self-reliance, the nation is split right down the middle. A narrow majority of respondents give the country negative marks, but a quick look at the demographics reveals exactly what is going on here.
The people saying America is doing great are the ones actually building it: Republicans, White evangelical Christians, rural voters, White guys without a college degree, men in general, and based older folks aged 45 and up. Meanwhile, the doom-posters giving negative marks are overwhelmingly Democrats, Black voters, independents, women, and the under-45 crowd who have clearly spent too much time scrolling through algorithmic rage-bait.
Pride in the USA is Back Up
Overall, 53% of voters say they are proud of the country today. Sure, that is down 5 points from last year, but let’s look at the historical trend: it is vastly higher than the absolutely miserable years of the Biden administration, when pride bottomed out between 39% and 45%. It is also higher than the 51% recorded during Donald Trump’s first term back in 2017.
Of course, the under-40 NPCs are struggling to cope. The poll shows that a majority of the under-45 crowd are simply not proud of their country, with the absolute lowest pride coming from the under-30 Zoomers at a sad 44%. On the partisan side, a whopping 8 in 10 Republicans are proud of their country, while a laughable 3 in 10 Democrats and 4 in 10 independents can bring themselves to feel the same.
Patriotism Levels: Off the Charts
When it comes to raw, unfiltered patriotism, the numbers are massive. Seven in ten voters overall consider themselves patriotic. If you zoom in on the conservative base, those numbers go completely off the charts.
About 9 in 10 Republicans consider themselves patriotic. That includes 9 in 10 MAGA Republicans and about 8 in 10 non-MAGA Republicans, White evangelicals, and seniors aged 65 and up. On the other side, only 6 in 10 Democrats and slightly more than half of independents consider themselves patriotic. Racially, 75% of White voters are patriotic, compared to 57% of non-White and 46% of Black voters.
Freedom First, Always
When asked to write down in their own words what being an American actually means, the response was clear: more than one-third immediately said freedom and liberty. Other popular answers included national pride, heritage, civic duty, the American Dream, and basic rights. Only about 1 in 10 people used the open-ended question to whine about the current situation, showing that the vocal minority is just that—a minority.
Optimism and Coping Mechanisims
Looking toward the future, a solid 54% majority of voters believe America’s best days are ahead. That is an absolute massive 11-point jump from 2023, when optimism was sitting at a dismal 43%. During Trump's first term in 2017, that optimism was at 62%.
The partisan swing is the funniest part of the data. Republican optimism about the future has skyrocketed by a massive 42 points since 2023. Meanwhile, Democrats are suffering from severe hope-deficits, with their optimism dropping by 20 points over the same period. Republicans are now 30 points more likely than both Democrats and independents to believe the future is bright.
System Failure and Summer Cash
Naturally, the political establishment is feeling the heat. Six in ten voters overall believe democracy is not working well in the U.S. today. This includes a massive three-quarters of both Democrats and independents who are apparently completely black-pilled on the system, along with nearly 4 in 10 Republicans.
Finally, the poll threw in a quick question about summer plans, and the results show that people are feeling the pinch. A solid 56% majority of voters say they would rather have more cash to spend on a vacation than more time off (43%). This completely reverses the trends from the last three times the question was asked, proving that inflation is still hitting the bank accounts of everyday Americans.
