By Frank F Islam & Ed Crego, July 2nd, 2026 (Image credits: Tom de Boor, JNCGPT54)

On this July 4th, we are commemorating America’s 250th birthday. Most of this will be done by looking backward and remembering events and people that shaped this country’s past.

This July 4th should also be a day that concerned citizens look forward and commit to shaping our country’s future.

This future must be shaped to renew America. This American renewal is necessary because of the Trump administration’s impact in reversing the positive progress made over the past 250 years.

As we noted in our first blog of this year, in 2025, those on the Trump’s administration’s “wrecking ball” hit list included:

the Constitution; the Cabinet; Congress; federal government employees; federal policies and programs; federal departments such as justice, education, and health and human services; diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; American civics and history; museums; libraries; the military; higher education; large law firms; blue states; sanctuary cities; perceived enemies of the president; and the truth.

In 2026, those items remain on the hit list, and with Trump’s attacks on our allies and the launching of the war on Iran, there is significant new damage being done to our relationships around the world, and to the economic conditions of the majority of the American people.

That’s not just our assessment and opinion. Thomas B. Edsall began his essay for the New York Times by declaring, “The damage President Trump has inflicted on the United States and the world is so enormous and wide-ranging that it is hard to grasp.”

How enormous has President Trump’s damage been? In Edsall’s essay, Donald Kettl, a professor emeritus and former dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, placed Trump in the Top 5 of American presidents, alongside George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, noting, however, that “Trump’s consequences have been aggressive efforts to unravel the ideas of the other four presidents.”

This unraveling in the U.S. has moved our nation and democracy backward rather than forward. The most recent impact of this unraveling, due to the war in Iran, has been on “affordability.” In spite of Trump’s claims to the contrary, the war in Iran has driven costs up on items such as gas and food, and made this a problematic issue for many Americans.

The extent of that problem is indicated in the results of Gallup’s annual Economic and Personal Finance survey. The highlights of Lydia Saad’s story on the survey were as follows:

• Inflation and high prices cited by 31% as top financial problem
• Energy concerns up 10 points to highest since 2008
• A record 55% say their finances are getting worse

Tally all of this up and it is not good news for America or Americans on this July 4th. Yet over the past 250 years, because of who we are and our commitment to creating a better future, we have moved this nation forward even in the toughest of times. In 2026, in these tough times, it is time to do that again by renewing America.

The good news, is that in spite of these tough times, the majority of young Americans still believe in the American Dream.

Forbes and Harris X have joined forces to conduct a monthly American Confidence Survey. On May 6, Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane and HarrisX Founder and CEO Dritan Nesho were on Morning Joe on MSNow and discussed the initial findings of their new survey. Those findings include the fact that: two-thirds of young Americans still believe in the American dream; two-thirds still believe if they work hard they can live a better life; and two-thirds feel the American dream is attainable.

Those young Americans will help renew America as they pursue their dreams. Concerned Americans of all ages who step forward and look forward will help create the environment for them to achieve those dreams by reconstructing and revitalizing the America that has been decimated by the Trump administration.

We concerned citizens commit to doing this on this July 4th because of who we are as Americans, and our belief in the greatness and goodness of this nation and its people.

In closing, we leave you with these thoughts from retired Admiral William H. McRaven’s new book, Duty, Honor, Country & Life, and Michelle Obama from her comments at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center:

Admiral McRaven wrote:

In the past 250 years, there has been tremendous change in America…But for all the political, economic, and societal changes, America is best known for what didn’t change — the American spirit. Our unwavering belief in ourselves. A belief that is rooted in our values, values that were burned into our national DNA over 250 years ago, values that set us apart from every other nation on the planet. These values have been constantly challenged by war, political upheaval, and cultural and technological revolutions. And yet, despite all of the assaults on our values, the ideals of liberty, equality, self-government, individualism, the rule of law, and religious freedom continue to thrive. It is these ideals that express themselves in our industrial drive, our creativity, our philanthropy, our compassion, and our patriotism.

Michelle Obama said:

… we simply don’t have the luxury or time to be cynical or complacent, to wring our hands in despair, to wait for someone else to fix the problem. Y’all, hope is all we have, because hope is the essential spark that lights the fire of change, but hope is a choice. Whether or not we use our voices to speak up is a choice. Voting is a choice. Being a decent human being is a choice. Believing that we still hold the power to build a country that reflects us all is a choice.

Patriotic concerned citizens will embrace those values and make those choices understanding that this July 4th is a day to celebrate what America has been and more importantly to renew America to enable it to be what it should become.