This weekend’s 250th anniversary celebrations have taken on overtones of partisan struggle, with President Donald Trump placing itself at the center of the capital’s events by promoting military displays, patriotic music and fireworks that adorn the “most spectacular Trump rally of all.” The lavish festivities have put Democrats, long considered the least overtly patriotic party, in a bind. They want to show their opposition to Trump without appearing reluctant to celebrate America. Many Democratic leaders have responded by emphasizing state celebrations (museum exhibits, naturalization ceremonies and community service projects) and resorting to rhetoric intended to promote their definition of patriotism as a counterpoint to Trump’s.
“This is the moment so that the democrats stop giving up the flag, stop ceding patriotism to another political party, because patriotism… is something that belongs to all of us,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in an interview. Moore, a military veteran and potential presidential candidate, will speak today at the Maryland state government headquarters in Annapolis, 30 miles from Trump’s rally in Washington, D.C. He has been trying to encourage his party to link patriotic symbolism to deeper themes such as sacrifice, equality and helping America get back on track. the height of his ideals.
But Democrats disagree on how to define patriotism. Some focus on democratic governance versus what they see as Trump’s undemocratic agenda. Others have urged Americans to reconsider slavery and inequality, to live up to the vision the country proclaims. A third way links patriotism to an economic message that reflects the party’s rhetoric ahead of this year’s midterm elections. For decades, Republicans have sought to establish themselves as symbols of patriotism and national unity, associating themselves with the American flag, the national anthem and the armed forces.
According to a YouGov survey in June, only 18% of Americans consider the Democratic Party “very patriotic,” compared to 31% who think the same about Republicans. In the Trump era, Republicans have also branded debates about historical injustices as unpatriotic, dropping another political bombshell against what they say is Democrats’ obsession with identity politics. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D), another possible presidential candidate, advocates confronting these types of attacks directly. “I don’t think it’s patriotic to whitewash our history like Donald Trump does, or to take away people’s individual freedoms like he routinely does,” he said in an interview. “I would rather see this differently…treating all people with dignity and respect.”
Shapiro accused Trump of politicizing the national celebration, but said that as governor, he is uniting people with the events in Pennsylvania. Shapiro declined to send a delegation to the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, citing the $700,000 cost to participate in what he called “the Trump fair,” adding that patriotism does not belong to the president. “Our celebrations here will not revolve around any party or any particular person,” he said. “People will have a moment to reflect on our history and reaffirm their commitment to the work ahead.”
However, heDemocrats are falling into a trap by boycotting Trump events, said John Brabender, a Republican strategist who worked as a media consultant for the Trump campaign. “It would have been smarter to say, ‘Look, we may not agree with the president on a lot of things, but we still believe that America is the strongest and best country in the world, and we thought we should take this moment to come together and share everything we have in common,’” Brabender said. “Instead of saying, ‘I’m retiring.'” Matt Gorman, another Republican strategist, accused Democrats of capitalizing on patriotism in election years and then behaving like sore losers when they’re not in charge.
According to Gorman, Democrats would be celebrating cwith enthusiasm if Kamala Harris she would have been elected in 2024. She added that they cannot separate their disappointment at not being in power from their pride in their country. Democrats, however, argue that Republicans are describing a version of patriotism that no longer matches the view many Americans have of their country. Patriotism should focus on defending the Constitution and caring about the nation’s well-being, rather than Trump’s macho, “let’s kick everyone’s butt” patriotism, said Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg.
Trump’s presidency has changed the debate, he argued, and many Democrats now view patriotism through the lens of constitutional rights, due process and democratic institutions. According to Democratic strategist John Anzalone, the main pollster of lJoe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, Voters increasingly link patriotism to economic security and the American dream, rather than to the flag and other symbols. “They are patriots, they understand where their values come from when it comes to our country and its founding, but they feel like politicians have failed them when it comes to the American dream financially and that level of patriotism,” he said.
Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot running for Congress in a key New Jersey congressional district, is tapping into a similar message. During his election campaign, he describes his life as “a version of the American dream” and talks about patriotism in the form of ROTC, the Veterans Readjustment Act (GI Bill), and a Department of Veterans Affairs loan that helped his family buy a home. “When you love something, you fight for it,” Bennett said in an interview. Republicans have used patriotism as a weapon for decades: Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War and Ronald Reagan during the Cold War. George HW Bush made the flag a centerpiece of his 1988 campaign.
Democrats have frequently been accused of not being patriotic enough, including Barack Obama for his decision to wear a flag pin. However, Democrats argue that Trump has distorted the rules of the game by increasingly linking patriotism with personal loyalty. “You can still love the country and want it to be even more perfect, just as our Founding Fathers envisioned,” said Rosie Rios, Biden’s appointee as president of America 250, a congressionally funded initiative to commemorate the nation’s 25th anniversary. The Fourth of July “should focus on the common American values that unite us, such as community, service and innovation.”