Overview
- Mona Charen wrote on June 18 in The Bulwark that the approach of the nation’s 250th anniversary makes her “heart hurt” and has left her uncertain whether to celebrate.
- Charen defended critics such as Robert De Niro, arguing their public dissent reflects patriotic concern rather than hatred of America and responding to attacks that labeled them unpatriotic.
- The column catalogs actions by President Donald Trump and his allies that Charen says threaten democracy and human rights, naming efforts to overturn elections, harsh immigration tactics, and efforts to co‑opt the press.
- Charen cites polling — including Public Religion Research Institute figures — that she says show roughly 62 percent disapproval of Trump and about 59 percent viewing him as a potentially dangerous dictator, and she warns these views make symbols like the flag fraught for many.
- Alternet noted Charen’s background as a former Reagan speechwriter and emphasized her argument that, despite alarm, America has a history of self‑correction and is worth saving if citizens work to defend its institutions.