How Americans are feeling about the country's 250th anniversary, according to new polls

How Americans are feeling about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to new polls centers on a mixed public mood as the U.S. marks independence. Duane Mitchell, a 78-year-old Vietnam War veteran from Montana, plans to celebrate by driving a restored 1954 Chevrolet pickup in Fourth of July parades and mounting a decorative eagle with American flags. National survey results from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found about 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they feel “proud,” while roughly 3 in 10 are “excited.” At the same time, Gallup polling shows many believe the Declaration of Independence signers would be disappointed in how the country turned out, up from 25 years ago. Republicans and older adults are especially likely to feel proud or excited.