Can the American flag still unite America?

Walking through New York on the morning of July 4, the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, one thing stood out: there were fewer American flags than expected. Americans have long embraced the custom of dressing for major national occasions. When the New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals not long ago, the city's streets filled for weeks with people of every age wearing Knicks jerseys and T-shirts. Yet on a milestone in the nation's history, many people wore ordinary clothes instead of stars-and-stripes apparel. The contrast was striking.

Not long ago, it was easy to think few people cherished their national flag as much as Americans did. The Stars and Stripes appeared everywhere, from children's T-shirts and pencils to cupcake decorations. From a South Korean perspective, that was especially noteworthy. In South Korea, the Taegeukgi has increasingly become a political symbol, at times associated with partisan conflict, criticism and even ridicule. The United States, by contrast, seemed to be a place where people could display their flag simply because they loved what it represented.

This year's Independence Day told a different story. During the 2024 presidential campaign and since returning to office, President Donald Trump has increasingly wrapped the Stars and Stripes in the symbolism of his MAGA, or "Make America Great Again," movement. One U.S. news outlet recently captured that shift with a blunt observation: "For some people, the American flag is the nation's flag. For others, it is simply a MAGA hat on a pole."

For some Americans, flying the flag now risks being seen as a declaration of political allegiance. As a result, some chose not to wear flag-themed clothing or display the Stars and Stripes outside their homes, even on Independence Day. In conservative communities, meanwhile, front yards were lined with American flags. Some residents say they feel uncomfortable being the only household without one, while others acknowledge displaying the flag despite their political views because they feel social pressure to do so. It is a remarkable irony that such tensions exist in a country founded on liberty and equality and celebrated as a model of democratic values.

A recent poll found that 47 percent of Americans had little or no interest in the nation's 250th anniversary, while 52 percent said they did not plan to fly the American flag at home on Independence Day.

The Declaration of Independence rests on two enduring principles. The first is that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights. The second is that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed."

For a country shaped by immigrants from every corner of the world, those principles have long served as the foundation of national unity, transcending birthplace and race. They have also been one of America's greatest strengths. Over the past 250 years, the country's success has been driven by a shared belief that people from diverse backgrounds could build a better future together. That same spirit also fueled the entrepreneurial culture that produced many of the world's most innovative companies and technologies.

Looking at the United States today, however, it is difficult not to wonder whether everyone beneath the Stars and Stripes still feels the same sense of belonging, even those born in the country or unquestionably American under the law. President Trump's approach to immigrants, LGBTQ people, racial minorities and low-income Americans makes the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence seem increasingly out of reach.

In his address marking the nation's 250th anniversary Saturday night, Trump declared, "We never want communists." It was another appeal that emphasized division over unity. Few political strategies are easier than defining an enemy, stirring anger against one group or strengthening solidarity by excluding another. Few are more damaging as well. Whether Americans can once again unite beneath the same flag by the nation's 300th anniversary remains an open question. One can only hope that Americans, and all of us, choose thoughtful empathy over the politics of anger.