Poll shows what future Americans will find most shocking about America's 250th birthday

By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 16:02, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 16:19, 30 June 2026 It's 500 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 250 years after this summer's America 250 festivities.  What do Americans living now think those living 250 years from now will find the most shocking? Polling from the Daily Mail and JL Partners found that - at least for Democrats and independents - the answer to that question is President Donald Trump.  The second President to have served two non-consecutive terms easily beat out modern technological marvels, including artificial intelligence and robots, taking the top spot for those voting blocs.  Democrats appeared surprised that the country elected a felon.  Trump became a convicted felon in May 2024, after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.  He was still elected to the White House for a second time that November. Your browser does not support iframes. As the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia's Independence Hall, voters were asked what Americans 250 years from now would find the most shocking about this era  The top answer for Democrats and independents was Donald Trump, the former reality TV star serving as President, only the second person to be elected to non-consecutive terms  Your browser does not support iframes. The 80-year-old with Vice President JD Vance at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, in 2022 Revelers take in July 4 fireworks from Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2024 Democratic registered voters also highlighted the division in the political climate.  Independents also mentioned the division in the country, but said the 'people' of this era might be more shocking to Americans in 2276.  They also suggested the world, the country and robots could bemuse future Americans.  Republicans said that 'people' - but noticeably not Trump - would be the most shocking element of all.  GOP voters also believed AI and technology would surprise those living in 2276. Members of Trump's party did say the political climate would shock future Americans.  But they mentioned Democrats, division and immigration more than the President's name.  The poll was conducted from June 24 to 26, sampling 1,059 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.