TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Has patriotism become partisan? A recent essay by a leader of Traverse Indivisible suggests that, for at least some progressives, the meaning of the American flag has changed alongside the nation’s political landscape.
The discussion comes as polling shows a widening partisan divide over national pride. A recent NPR/ PBS News/Marist survey found that 93% of Republicans said they were proud or very proud to be American, compared with 45% of Democrats. Many Democrats also said they were concerned about the country’s direction, underscoring how differently Americans currently view patriotism.
American flag became an “ick.”
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That divide is reflected in a July 7 Traverse Indivisible newsletter featuring an essay by communications lead and steering committee member Leif Kolt. The piece, titled “Reclaiming Our Patriotism” in the newsletter and originally published on his personal Substack under the headline “We the People Who Will Decide,” argues that after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, seeing the American flag began giving him “the same ick” as seeing a Confederate flag. He also writes that phrases such as “We the People” have become political dog whistles for the right.
Kolt told Michigan News Source the essay reflects his personal views, not an official position of Traverse Indivisible. Asked to explain his essay, Kolt said he still loves the American flag and displays several of them at his home and in his vehicle. He said what changed was not the flag itself, but how he believes it has been used by some political movements.
Kolt says political division has changed the meaning of American symbols.
“A lot of the symbols I reference started shifting around the same time, when division became a strategy, not a byproduct,” Kolt said, pointing to images of white supremacists in Charlottesville and rioters carrying American flags during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He said those events altered how he thinks Americans viewed the nation’s most recognizable symbol.
Kolt also contends that slogans such as “All Lives Matter” were deliberately engineered to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement and argues that “the internet, the consolidation of media, and the concentration of wealth” have created a propaganda machine driven by powerful billionaires, including Elon Musk.
He summarizes his broader argument by writing, “The theft and corruption of all sorts of spiritual and cultural icons throughout history, especially by colonizers and white people, is not only prevalent, but systemic.”
A call to “reclaim” patriotism.
Rather than abandoning patriotic symbols, Kolt argues progressives should reclaim them. “The flag belongs to all of us,” he told Michigan News Source. “What the flag stands for never changed for me: a country of free and equal people, unbound by tyranny.” He said his concern is that political movements have used the flag in ways that contradict those ideals, while emphasizing that patriotic symbols should unite Americans rather than divide them.
Kolt also elaborated on why the phrase “We the People” has taken on a different meaning for him.
He said nationalist groups, Jan. 6 participants, QAnon supporters and the group Patriot Front increasingly adopted the phrase as a rallying cry, changing how he perceived it. In his view, the constitutional language should represent all Americans, not what he described as a narrower political tribe.
Progressive activism beyond the essay.
Traverse Indivisible was formed in early 2017 in response to Trump’s election and is part of the national Indivisible movement, founded by former Democratic congressional staffers to organize opposition to the Trump administration and support progressive candidates and policies.
Kolt’s essay reflects other progressive themes he has explored in other public writings. On his Substack, People Not Machines, he has published essays including Billionaires Should Not Exist and The Emperor, the latter referring to President Donald Trump.
Earlier this year, Kolt urged the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners to eliminate its opening prayer before meetings, arguing that government proceedings should not include religious invocations. Kolt, who identifies as an atheist, argued that the First Amendment protects freedom “from” religion and said opening meetings with prayer infringes on his constitutional rights.
Beyond his writings, Kolt has also taken an active role in progressive politics. Both he and Traverse Indivisible have endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Different views of the stars and stripes.
Kolt’s essay reflects a broader debate on the political left over the meaning of patriotic symbols. Recently, The View co-host Sunny Hostin drew criticism after saying the American flag had, in some contexts, become associated with white supremacy.
Critics argue such comments unfairly tie the nation’s flag to extremist groups rather than recognizing it as a symbol of the country as a whole.
Many conservatives take the opposite view. American flags are common at political rallies, community parades, sporting events, veterans’ funerals, cemeteries and patriotic holidays. They argue the flag represents the United States regardless of who occupies the White House and reject the idea that displaying it signals allegiance to any one political movement.
Historically, the Stars and Stripes has symbolized freedom, unity, sacrifice and the nation itself through military service, civic traditions and generations of public use. The federal government simply describes it as the symbol of the United States and of freedom.
Can patriotism be “reclaimed” and what does that mean?
The idea of “reclaiming” patriotism is not new on the political left. During the 2008 presidential campaign, after Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination, Michelle Obama drew national attention when she said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country” – a remark critics likewise interpreted as tying patriotism to political leadership.
Whether Kolt’s call to “reclaim” patriotic symbols resonates beyond fellow progressives remains to be seen. What is clear is that the debate reflects a broader cultural divide in America. Increasingly,
Americans disagree not only about public policy but also about the meaning of the nation’s most enduring symbols. For some, the flag has become intertwined with modern politics. For others, it remains simply the flag of the United States – a symbol that transcends whichever party or president happens to be in power.
