Just 29% of Democrats say they’re extremely proud to be American — and Dr. Ben Carson knows exactly why.
NBC News released a poll weeks before America’s 250th birthday showing record-low patriotism among young Americans and liberals. Only 36% of 18- to 34-year-olds say they’re very or extremely proud of being American, compared to 90% of Republicans and 75% of seniors.
The pattern is clear: older Americans who know the most about our history love the country most. Younger Americans drowning in anti-American propaganda grow up ashamed.
Carson, founder of the American Cornerstone Institute and former HUD secretary under Trump, says the root cause is historical ignorance — and it’s fixable.
“THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE OUR COUNTRY MOST TEND TO BE THE ONES WHO KNOW HER BEST. AMERICAN HISTORY IS THE SECOND GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE STOPPED TELLING THAT STORY TO OUR CHILDREN.”
For decades, surveys have found older Americans know far more about our founding, Constitution, and history than younger Americans. A recent American Enterprise Institute study found Gen Z was less knowledgeable on every historical landmark than baby boomers — from the Bill of Rights to the Civil War to the Cold War.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress confirms the disaster. Students’ test scores in U.S. history have been falling for over a decade. Fewer than 15% of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history. Only one-fifth are proficient in civics.
College students and adults fare no better. Only one-third of Americans know enough about our country to pass the citizenship test we require for new immigrants.
Carson says the elites who run America’s schools, news media, and entertainment industry have spent a generation lying to our kids about our country.
In classrooms across the country today, American history is treated like a horror story. Students don’t learn about our successes — only our sins.
“OF COURSE, KIDS INUNDATED WITH ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ARE GOING TO GROW UP TO BE LESS PATRIOTIC.”
Carson’s solution: tell the truth about America. That’s what his new film “Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie!” does.
The movie is based on a series of animated shorts launched three years ago by the American Cornerstone Institute. The series now has over 30 episodes and has reached hundreds of thousands of children and their families. Each episode introduces children to a hero or moment from America’s history — from Christopher Columbus and the Pilgrims through the Revolution, the Civil War, and all the way to the Wright Brothers and Jackie Robinson.
Through the Little Patriots initiative, Carson’s team worked with historians and educators to create original classroom resources to go along with each episode.
This year, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, they turned the series into a feature-length film. The movie features the voices of Kirk Cameron, Gary Sinise, Kevin Sorbo, and a cartoon version of Carson himself. Families will soon be able to stream the movie online.
Carson’s message is simple: No nation is perfect, but ours is extraordinary. At no point in the last 250 years was there a country that presented more opportunities than America did.
Today, Americans of every race, creed, and color are freer, more prosperous, and more secure in their God-given rights than any people in history.
The best way to revive American patriotism is to start telling our children the truth about the land of the free and the home of the brave.
NBC News poll: How proud are you to be an American?
Overall
Extremely/very 56%
Not very/none 21%Extremely/very by party:
GOP 90%
Dem 29%By age:
65+ 75%
18-34 36%— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) June 14, 2026
