Fox News Poll: 'Resilient discontent' defines the US mood at 250th anniversary
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, American voters remain attached to the country, even as a majority describe it in negative terms and many believe Americans are more divided by their values than united by them.
That’s according to the latest Fox News national survey released Monday.
When asked what one word best describes the United States today, two-thirds of voters choose a negative word such as "failing," "divided," "struggling," or "corrupt." That includes nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans.
Only about one-quarter of voters suggest a positive word, such as "freedom," "great," "powerful," or "strong," and more than four times as many Republicans as Democrats use those terms.
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By a 16-point margin, a larger number of voters believe Americans are mostly separated by different values (58%) than bound by shared values (42%). Majorities of Democrats (62%) and independents (65%) think Americans are separated by different values, while views among Republicans are split (49% shared vs. 50% different values).
Even so, the survey finds broad agreement on some fundamental American principles. When describing the U.S., more than 8 in 10 voters say it’s important to emphasize national unity and shared values (85%) as well as U.S. democratic principles (83%). Three-quarters (77%) prioritize highlighting the country’s multiculturalism and diversity. Of the three, there’s relatively wide partisan disagreement on multiculturalism, with 88% of Democrats viewing it as an important descriptor of the country compared to 67% of Republicans — a 21-point gap.
And while national attachment remains strong, it has noticeably eroded compared to two decades ago when 93% said they would rather live in the U.S. than any other country. Today, that number is 81%, while 19% say they would rather live elsewhere — a share that has more than tripled since 2004 and 2005.
The desire to leave is especially pronounced among voters under age 30 and Democrats, as about 3 in 10 of each group would rather live outside the U.S. By contrast, almost all Republicans (96%) and most voters ages 45 and over would stay in the U.S. (86%).
Enthusiasm about the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary clearly reflects the partisan gap: more than twice as many Republicans (74%) as Democrats (35%) are excited about the milestone. Fully 84% of MAGA Republicans are excited compared to 57% of non-MAGA Republicans. More than half of veterans (55%), White men without a college degree (63%), and White evangelical Christians (70%) are also excited.
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"These findings suggest a national mood best described as ‘resilient discontent,’" says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson. "The growing share who would rather live elsewhere combined with stark partisan differences in enthusiasm for the country's anniversary, suggests commitment to the nation is becoming less automatic and more conditional."
Conducted May 15-18, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.