Fourth of July 2024: The State of the American Republic

With the November general election looming, outlets across the spectrum have published perspectives on the significance of American Independence Day this year.

Down, But Optimistic: Margaret Sullivan of The Guardian (Lean Left bias) said “The American Experiment took some gut punches over the last week,” citing Biden’s poor debate performance and the Supreme Court’s ruling that former President Donald Trump has immunity for official presidential actions as erosion of American democracy. Sullivan criticized mainstream outlets like CNN (Lean Left bias) and The New York Times Editorial Board (Left bias) for not being hard enough on Trump but says “young journalists” give her hope for the future.

Powerful Optimism: Rosie Rios, writing for Newsweek (Center bias), claimed that while the news media and social media may paint a cynical picture of the U.S., in her travels across the country she has met people “bridging divides” and using “the word hope without a hint of irony.” Rios encouraged readers to “turn off the TV” and concluded that the American story “will continue to be written by optimists.”

Founders’ Freedoms: House Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), writing for National Review (Right bias) argued that since American independence, everyday Americans’ rights have been “upended by an army of federal bureaucrats.” He said his hope for this Independence Day is that Americans will celebrate and appreciate the freedoms “we enjoy due to the wisdom of our Founders,” and “act zealously to… guard” them.