A majority of Americans are excited to celebrate the country's 250th birthday, but are divided about President Donald Trump’s role in the festivities, a new Scripps News/Talker Research poll finds.
More than 7 in 10 Americans say they are very or somewhat excited to celebrate the nation’s milestone anniversary, with a majority of Republicans (88%), Democrats (61%), and independents (66%) saying they are looking forward to July 4.
But President Donald Trump’s high-profile role in the events is more divisive.
Half of registered voters say the president’s involvement has been “appropriate,” driven largely by Republicans who overwhelmingly (80%) support the role Trump has taken in the events.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | America 250 time capsule to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4th. Here's what's in it
But just 42% of independents and 27% of Democrats feel the president’s participation has been proper.
The results come as two different groups compete for America’s attention on its semiquincentennial. One, America250, is a bipartisan nonprofit created by Congress in 2016 to prepare for the anniversary. That group will be hosting an event in Los Angeles on July 4 featuring musical acts like Chris Stapleton and the Smashing Pumpkins.
The other, Freedom 250, was created by Trump after the 2024 election and organized the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., as well as the upcoming fireworks show that the president has referred to as a “Trump rally.”
Turning the annual Independence Day fireworks display in the nation's capital into a political event has also showcased partisan divides. About four in ten respondents say a July 4 Trump rally would increase their excitement about that event, compared to 35% who say it would make them less excited, and about a quarter say it would have no impact.
Members of opposing parties are also split when it comes to questions about the country’s past and future. More than half the country (52%) believes “America was a great country, and continues to be a great country.” But 47% of Democrats surveyed believe “America was a great country, but no longer is.”
Republicans (46%) are also much more likely than Democrats (24%) to say the nation has lived up to its founding principles “very well.”
And many Americans are unsure of the country’s future. Four in ten say the next 250 years will be better than the past 250, 20% say the same, 24% worse and 16% are unsure. Members of the GOP, however, are also more optimistic than Democrats that the next 250 years will be better than the last 250 (53/35%).
Thirty-seven percent say they don’t think the U.S. will exist by its 500th birthday, compared 42% who say it will continue on beyond that.
This random double-opt-in online survey of 2,000 U.S. registered voters was commissioned by Scripps News and conducted by market research company Talker Research, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected from June 25 to July 2, 2026. The margin of error is +/- 2.2 points with 95% confidence.
