Happy b’day USA! At 250, you still smell like teen spirit

American EvolutionHappy b’day USA! At 250, you still smell like teen spiritThe weight of a new era is pressing in. The second Trump presidency is unfolding against the backdrop of escalating political tensions, geoeconomic disruption and shifting demographics.

Can the US adapt quickly enough? ST’s US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar reports as America celebrates its 250th birthday in 2026.Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxOnly a third feel that the American Dream – the belief that if you work hard, you’ll get ahead – still holds true today, polling over the last few years has found.

PHOTO: AFPBhagyashree GarekarPublished Jul 04, 2026, 05:00 AMUpdated Jul 04, 2026, 05:00 AMSet as preferred sourceSummariseThe US marks its 250th birthday amid political tensions, social divisions, and debates over national identity, with celebrations reflecting deep national disagreements.Economic inequality persists with rising costs, stagnant wages, and significant cuts to Medicaid threatening millions' health coverage.Despite challenges, America continues to innovate but faces growing global competition, especially from China.

AI generatedPHILADELPHIA – New York’s charismatic young mayor Zohran Mamdani made a special request of his constituents ahead of America’s big birthday weekend.“It’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC (air conditioner) to 78 degrees,” he tweeted on X on July 1.

Temperatures are forecast to soar past 100 deg F (37 deg C) over the next few days in a test of the city’s ageing power systems.And, apparently, national politics.Mamdani’s post drew more than 55 million views and lit his feed within minutes.

Most commenters mocked the “commie” mayor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and scorned the idea that he could tell New Yorkers how low to set their thermostats.“In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C,” tweeted Republican Senator Ted Cruz, taking a potshot at the Uganda-born mayor of Indian descent.Soon enough, someone reminded the politician from Texas that his state, too, had put out such public appeals during heatwaves.

It’s business as usual, in other words, in the American public square. At a venerable 250 years of age, the country is bickering like a teenager.Few will deny that the American experiment has been a staggering success.

The break from British rule in 1776 and the founding ideals in the Declaration of Independence – liberty, equality and self-government – birthed a nation of 340 million people that today makes up the world’s largest economy.Its geopolitical heft remains unparalleled. It has the mightiest of militaries.

And although China is snapping at its heels, its technology still leads. Its imprint on popular culture across the world is deep and abiding.But where is the joy?

Americans appear recalcitrant, unwilling to embrace celebration or hope. Some 59 per cent say the country’s best years are already behind it, found a Pew survey in May 2026.In recent decades, Americans have also grown less trusting of each other and of their government, both of the two dominant political parties, the mainstream media and even colleges and universities.

Consequently, when President Donald Trump addresses a rally in the national capital on July 4, sizeable numbers of Americans are likely to regard him with varying degrees of suspicion, contempt or hostility.Another parallel effort will offer an alternative to the billionaire president. “America’s Block Party” will be held in Los Angeles on the same day, led by a bipartisan, congressional commission that reportedly developed differences with the White House-run celebrations.

There has been backlash over an unusual UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) spectacle folded into the 250th anniversary celebrations: a mixed martial arts event staged on the White House grounds and timed to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14. Supporters hailed it as a high-energy show. Critics said it was undignified.

Fireworks exploding during UFC Freedom 250, on the South Lawn of the White House on June 15. PHOTO: REUTERSLikewise, the Great American State Fair. A 16-day expo on the National Mall in Washington, DC, that was meant to feature every state and territory, also ran into controversy.

At least seven states declined to participate. Trump claimed that it was “packed with happy people” but media reports said there were hardly any crowds.The days leading up to the anniversary have been eventful.

A serving US Air Force officer was arrested on July 1 after publicly calling for Trump’s impeachment. Major Jacob Watson, dressed in his military uniform, flouted the law by demonstrating from the steps of the Capitol building. Public dissent within active-duty military ranks is rare.

But betting markets see institutional brinksmanship ahead; Kalshi currently has odds of 64 per cent that Trump will be impeached before January 2028.The on-edge feel is most palpable at a monument t