This July Fourth, my patriotism looks like two middle fingers – and that's OK

USA Today

19 hours ago

We can love this country and loathe the people in charge. We can be simultaneously proud of this country and embarrassed of the things being done in its name.
As America enters the patriotism-heavy week of the Fourth of July with an unpopular president behaving in myriad un-American ways, it's worth wondering what patriotism should look like in this moment.
Is it saluting the flag and dutifully respecting the office of the presidency, looking past the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration to celebrate our imperfect nation?
That's certainly what he would want. If nothing else, Trump in his second term has shown Americans that fealty to him is all that matters. His lackeys in Congress parrot his language and propose bills to put the King of Mar-a-Lago's face on currency or Mount Rushmore.
As Trump's un-American actions mount, we have to find our own patriotism
On Thursday, June 26, journalists were scolded mercilessly by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for having the audacity to report that Trump's recent bombing of Iranian nuclear sites might not have been as successful as the president claimed. It was as close to 'You must not question Dear Leader!' rhetoric as you can get without being in North Korea.
He suggested that reporters – you know, the Fourth Estate, the ones responsible for holding the powerful accountable – take the president's word for things, suggesting: 'Wave an American flag. Be proud of what we accomplished.'
Some will follow the administration's instructions, of course. Trump will always have his hardcore MAGA base, and that base will never deign to question his infallibility. They, like Trump, will wrap themselves tight in the American flag and use it as a shield to deflect inconvenient things like facts or criticism. They will, as Hegseth and Trump did, claim any notion that a military action fell short of its goals is a direct insult to our brave soldiers.
Opinion: From massive protests to a puny parade, America really let Donald Trump down
Patriotism in the age of Trump, for many, is standing up to the nonsense
But what of the rest of us? You know, the ones in the majority, assuming you care to believe public polling that shows Trump's favorability well underwater and negative views of his decision to bomb Iran, his stewardship of the economy and his draconian acts against migrants.
What does our patriotism, in this rather pivotal moment in American history, look like? How do we celebrate America – the right-now version of America – when democracy looks as fragile as a cracked sheet of thin ice over a warming pond?
I imagine everyone will have a different answer, and I'm not here to claim I know best. But as a critic of Trump and all he has done to mangle this country and its sense of decency, I can share my form of Fourth of July patriotism.
I still love this country. That's why I mercilessly mock the rubes in charge.
It involves still loving the heck out of this country, and celebrating the fact that, at least for the moment, I'm free to tell Hegseth to take his little flag-waving idea and his 'How dare you question our authority!' attitude and pound sand.
It involves sharing a quote from Trump talking about himself, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the wake of the Iran bombings: 'We feel like warriors.'
Then it involves using space in my column to mercilessly ridicule the absurdity of that quote: A warrior? You're as much a warrior as I am a duck, and buddy, my hide is featherless and my feet aren't remotely webbed. You bone-spurred your way out of the Vietnam War and quite possibly bombed Iran because people made fun of your sad birthday parade. Get over yourself.
Authoritarians are sensitive little flowers – give 'em hell
Authoritarian types like Trump hate mockery. Their fragile egos can't bear it. So I, like many non-MAGA Americans, give them the derision they deserve. In a country built on resistance to a monarchy and aristocrats, that is patriotic. In fact, it's almost definitionally American.
We can love this country and loathe the people in charge. We can be simultaneously proud of this country and embarrassed of the things being done in its name.
So my patriotism this Fourth of July week is to loudly declare that my America doesn't stand for masked federal agents grabbing migrant children and mothers and fathers off the streets and whisking them away without due process. My America is welcoming, and just, and decent. And no two-bit con-artist president is going to take away my belief that these un-American actions can and will be stopped.
Nothing less American than saying a mayoral candidate should be deported
Republican Rep. Andy Ogles sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring that Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic primary winner in New York City's mayoral race, is 'an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York' and calling for him to be deported.
Aside from being baseless and laughably stupid, Ogles' letter and the intent behind it are as un-American as it gets. My patriotism will take the form of calling Ogles a sad, opportunistic dingbat and noting that future generations of his family will deny any connection to him, lest they be cast out of civil society or die of embarrassment.
My America ridicules powerful dummies and stands strong in protest
My America won't tolerate racists or xenophobes or clout-chasing knuckleheads who think the American dream involves trampling carelessly over others while forgetting the very things that make this country great.
My America fights back against tyranny and indecency with ridicule, peaceful public protest, voting and a unified voice.
I'm not happy with the state of America, and I'm particularly not happy with the array of malicious weirdos currently running the joint.
But I'm not going to look at the American flag and feel ashamed. That flag still represents a country I believe to be well worth fighting for, and a set of ideas I won't let a pack of grifters and warped-brain scoundrels erase.
Opinion: Trump says we have 'too many non-working holidays.' He's right. Rest is for LOSERS!
On the Fourth of July, find your patriotism and live it
I'm not alone in feeling this way. I know that.
So in the lead-up to the booms and the colorful firework bursts and the barbecues, to the noise and sweat and the dull roar of chatter from family and friends, find your own patriotism. Speak loudly. Stand strong. And believe you have it in you to make a change.
Even if it's just throwing up a middle finger to the bastards forcing us to feel like America is upside down.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk
You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.