Gallup revealed on June 15 that its most recent survey determined that the number of US adults either “extremely proud” (42%) or “very proud” (21%) to be an American have both reached their lowest percentages since the poll began nearly two decades ago.
Poll data was drawn from Gallup's national pride survey that ran from May 28 through June 5 and asked, “How proud are you to be an American - extremely proud, very proud, moderately proud, only a little proud or not proud at all?”
The same survey on American national pride found that 15% of US adults are “moderately proud” to be Americans, while 12% responded “only a little proud,” and 9% said they were “not at all proud.”
Gallup began obtaining polling data just days after the May 25 police killing of Minneapolis, Minnesota, resident George Floyd - whose death ignited nationwide calls for justice in cases of US police brutality against black people.
The recently-obtained data has exposed a continuous decline in national pride that has been happening for quite some time.
“Since 2016, extreme pride is down among all major subgroups,” Gallup’s Megan Brenan noted in the June 15 release.
“And this measure of national pride is at its lowest among several demographic subgroups that have been consistently less likely to express extreme pride over the years.”
According to the data, extreme American pride within the nonwhite subgroup has gone from 45% in 2016 to 24% in 2020. Additionally, only 49% of those within the white subgroup are “extremely proud to be an American,” which is a five-point dip below findings obtained for the subgroup in 2016.
The country’s leadership - particularly US President Donald Trump’s response to the nationwide unrest and calls for reform - has also been brought into question.
Trump’s presidential approval rating dropped from 49% in a May 1 to May 13 Gallup Daily poll to 39% in the recent May 28 to June 4 poll. His approval among the GOP dropped from 92% to 85% during the same period.