TEHRAN, July 03 - Less Americans are identifying themselves as patriots two years into President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, a new poll has found.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The Gallup poll, released Monday, showed that only 47 percent of Americans were extremely proud to be American, down four points from 2016 and far from the peak of 70 percent in 2003.
The hike in lack of pride was mainly caused by a dip among Democrats whose number dropped from 45 percent in 2016 to 32 percent in 2018, Trump’s second year in office.
The number also fell among independents by three points.
Republicans, on the other hand, have moved up six points under the Republican president.
Gallup began tracking patriotism in 2001, when 87 percent said they were proud to be an American.
Other pollsters confirm the apparent decline, with an MTV/AP-NORC survey in May 2018 indicating that that young Americans think the word "patriotic" better describes their parents’ generation rather than their own generation. The parents held the same view.
Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has adopted policies that have isolated the US in the world and divided the country along racial, social and cultural lines.
The president’s harsh immigration policy, which has seen thousands of families separated at the Mexican border in recent weeks, has been met with fierce criticism both in the US and abroad.
Trump has also eliminated many welfare protections for millions of struggling Americans, while giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy.
The trend was also captured in a PRRI poll released in June 2013, which found around half of Americans were "extremely proud" of their nationality and 31 said they were very proud."
Back then, Three-in-ten Americans thought there were times in which they weren't proud to be an American, with 29 percent of them citing "wars" as the main reason. In second place came racism and the treatment of minorities with 14 percent.
According to a 2014 Fox News survey, the Americans public considered flying an American flag, voting in elections, and joining the military as acts of patriotism.
Source: Presstv
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