US marks 250th anniversary amid deep divisions: Many Americans doubt country's survival

Betsy Holsey, a retired teacher, cherishes memories of the Bicentennial in 1976 but refuses to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday. "I don't want to be at the same celebration with people who are thrilled with the direction our country is going," she told Reuters. Holsey, a frequent Democratic voter in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, finds President Donald Trump's actions too problematic.

Across town in Langhorne Manor, Dan Maraco, a 70-year-old Republican and laundromat owner, is ready to celebrate. He believes the United States is progressing under Trump and plans to mark the anniversary by hosting friends and family. "The poorest person in America has a better standard of living than some of the richest people in the rest of the world," Maraco stated.

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I don't want to be at the same celebration with people who are thrilled with the direction our country is going.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, the political divisions characterizing the Trump era are testing what has traditionally been a unifying summer custom. Fireworks, parades, and red, white, and blue decorations typically mark the occasion, but this year, politics has become intertwined with tradition.

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The poorest person in America has a better standard of living than some of the richest people in the rest of the world.

With Trump having significantly influenced official anniversary commemorations and his presidency marked by polarizing policies on immigration, the economy, and foreign affairs, many Americans struggle to separate politics from the festivities. "The very idea of celebration has become political and partisan. What's striking at this moment is how widespread pessimism is," said Beverly Gage, a historian at Yale University.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates that one in five Americans will not celebrate Independence Day this year, including a quarter of Democrats and 8% of Republicans. Furthermore, two in five respondents doubt the country will survive another 250 years. To gauge sentiments, Reuters spoke with over two dozen residents, activists, historians, and elected officials in Bucks County, a district that narrowly voted for Trump in 2024.

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The very idea of celebration has become political and partisan. What's striking at this moment is how widespread pessimism is.