Former presidents reflect on America at 250: ‘Constant work in progress’

Administration Former presidents reflect on America at 250: ‘Constant work in progress’ Comments: by Finya Swai - 07/04/26 2:15 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 07/04/26 2:15 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton on Saturday marked the U.S.’s 250th birthday with messages reflecting on both U.S. history and the future of the country.

Their sentiments struck a common theme: the U.S. has prospered since its founding in 1776 because generations of Americans have worked to fight for democracy.

“America is, and always has been, a constant work in progress,” Obama wrote in a post on social media, urging future generations of Americans to continue moving the country forward and to honor the 250 years of progress thus far.

“Every generation must take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further — protecting what’s right, fixing what’s wrong, and making our union a little more perfect,” he wrote, adding that 250 years later, “that’s more important than ever.”

Biden echoed the rhetoric, calling the Declaration of Independence “a promise” to the nation from the Founding Fathers that Americans have spent more than two and a half centuries trying to fulfill.

“Now it’s our turn. There’s nothing guaranteed about our democracy,” he wrote on social platform X. “We have to fight for it, defend it, and earn it. Over and over, year after year. That’s not a burden. That’s what it means to be an American.”

“Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of Americans signed their names to a piece of parchment and made a promise no nation had ever made before: that we’re all created equal,” the former president wrote.

He added that while Americans today have not fully lived up to the words in the Declaration, the principle has not been completely abandoned.

“I don’t believe we’re as divided as we’re told we are,” Biden said.

When asked what will be necessary to ensure America’s success in the future, Bush said Americans need to take an active interest in the health and wellbeing of the country and democracy.

“It requires Americans to vote, to be involved in the democratic process,” the Republican said, adding that while “you may not like outcomes of the elections,” one must focus on the fact that the capacity to vote and determine the country’s future is a “powerful freedom.”

President Trump has for years cast his doubt on the integrity of American elections, repeating false claims of election fraud after Biden defeated him in the 2020 presidential election.

Clinton issued the lengthiest statement of the former presidents, delivering a blistering critique of the nation’s current political climate.

“Today, we celebrate this milestone amid another period of deep division, renewed questions about America’s future and role in the world,” he wrote, adding that the country faces “threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself.”

Without naming Trump directly, Clinton accused those in power of weaponizing the government and judicial system while attempting to “rewrite history.”

Still, the former president was optimistic that the country would overcome its divisions, writing that “there is still nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what’s right with America.”

As the country marks 250 years since its founding and independence, recent polling has shown declines in patriotism and growing pessimism about the state of American democracy.

Fewer Americans were found to view democracy as central to U.S. identity, and majorities have expressed dissatisfaction with the way the current democratic processes are functioning.