Who flies the American flag? Poll finds major partisan divide ahead of July 4

By Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald

Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to own and fly an American flag, according to new polling, which comes ahead of Independence Day.

In the latest YouGov/Economist survey, more than two-thirds of GOP respondents, 68%, said they own an American flag at home, while 37% of Democrats said the same. Among respondents overall, 51% said they owned a U.S. flag.

The poll — which sampled 1,648 adults June 27-30 — then asked those who have a flag how often, if ever, they display it.

More than one-third of Republicans, 38%, said they fly the Stars and Stripes every day, while 11% of Democrats said they do the same. Meanwhile, 62% of Republicans and 30% of Democrats said they display the flag everyday, sometimes or on special occasions, such as holidays, including July 4.

There was also a significant partisan divide on the question of whether flying the American flag is “an act of patriotism.”

The overwhelming majority of Republicans, 89%, said that it was a patriotic act. A smaller share of Democrats, but still a majority, 58%, agreed.

The poll — which has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points — also asked respondents whether they thought Republicans or Democrats were more likely to display Old Glory.

Most appeared to guess correctly. Fifty-seven percent of overall respondents said Republicans were more prone to fly an American flag, while just 4% said Democrats were more likely to do so. Twenty-eight percent said both were equally likely to display it.

The survey was released in the lead-up to the Fourth of July, which will mark the 249th anniversary of the U.S. declaring independence from Great Britain.

President Donald Trump’s administration is also planning “a full year of festivities” to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026, according to the White House.

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