If you ever attend an event where Donald Trump is speaking, there's a country song you'll almost certainly have to listen to.God Bless the USA, a hit for Lee Greenwood back in 1984, has become the president's pre-speech hype tune. It's now also getting plenty of play at events marking the United States' 250th birthday, which falls this July 4.The song has a repeated lyric that's notorious for ear-worming into one's brain: I'm proud to be an American.But polls measuring the national mood have reinforced how a large chunk of America now struggles to identify with those words.Stacy Nichols, a new grandmother from Michigan, says she's "absolutely not" feeling proud to be an American. Asked how she's feeling instead, she offers: "Pissed off, angry, enraged."Stacy Nichols made a placard with the words "quiet piggy", a reference to what Donald Trump had previously said to a reporter. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)Those descriptors sum up the vibe at the event where we're speaking. It's a festival-like rally in a Washington DC park, featuring singing, dancing and a Native American drum performance alongside anti-Trump protest speeches.Activist groups planned the day to counter the "exclusionary narrative from the MAGA regime surrounding America's 250th anniversary", which they believe is being pushed at the official Trump-backed events, including the "Great State Fair" nearby on the National Mall.A coalition of activist groups planned a rally and festival to counter the official Donald Trump-backed birthday events. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)Stacy, a dental nurse, says her anger's been fuelled by seeing patients who are enduring the worst of America's cruel treatment in their daily lives.She gives examples like an elderly man who can't afford his medication and a woman whose husband was seized by immigration agents.She travelled to Washington with homemade placards, including one that displays her reasons for coming: "I need to be able to tell my grandchildren I did not stay silent."Trump takeoverPlans to celebrate the US's 250th birthday have been in train since 2016, when Congress established a bipartisan organising committee called "America250".But Trump replaced that group with a new one, appointing himself as its chair, and Vice-President JD Vance as its vice-chair. He called it "Freedom 250". Its centrepiece event is the fair on the National Mall, featuring a ferris wheel, rodeo demonstrations and tourism-expo-type displays for all 50 states.A replica of the triumphal arch that Donald Trump has proposed building in Washington is on display at the Great State Fair. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)"This 'Freedom 250' that Trump does, it is a celebration of fascism," says Cindy Luiz at the park rally."This is a fascist government, and it has outsize effect on the people of the world. "You only have to look at Venezuela and Iran to see that, and the possibilities that they could trigger things rashly that lead to world war."The big problems predate Trump, she says. "My own view is that this country has been an exploitative, oppressive country from the days of slavery."Cindy Luiz was handing out material warning of the dangers of fascism at the Washington rally. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)Muarib Abdul-Tawwab travelled to the rally via an 18-hour bus trip with a group of young activists from Mississippi. "I think that it's important that history shows that we came down here because we thought what was going on here was important and we had something to say," he says.In his opinion, "America has never been great." "It's never been a great country. It's constantly going on a downward spiral. It's people that can't afford to eat, it's not fair education for everybody, there's not affordable housing for everybody — and these are just the modern problems."Muarib Abdul-Tawwab said America had never been a great country, no matter which side was in power. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)MAGA pridePatriotism is easier to find at the Trump-backed state fair, but the event has also been controversial since its inception. Most of the booked musicians cancelled their appearances, complaining the fair was much more partisan than they had been led to believe.Since it opened, video footage of visibly thin crowds has been going viral. But Trump has used social media to insist it has been "packed with happy people". One of them is Lisa Jox, a recently retired government worker from Pennsylvania. Lisa Jox said the US was "the first one to come help anyone in the world". (ABC News: Brad Ryan)"There's so many things America can be most proud of," she says."We're the first one to come help anyone in the world. "Right after that earthquake that just happened in Venezuela, we're down there helping. And we help everybody around the world when they need our help."Like most of the people who stop to speak to the ABC here, Lisa's a Trump supporter. "Do I love everything about our leadership? No," she says. "But there's no other place in the world I'd rather be. And we are more than the face of our politics."Angie Williams, a nurse from Virginia, says she often avoids talking about politics because it too quickly leads to a fight.Angie Williams, who visited the fair with her husband, said she loved what Donald Trump had done for the US. (ABC News: Brad Ryan)"Most of the time I would be reluctant, but I'm definitely right-wing, I'm definitely MAGA, I love what Donald Trump has done for our country," she says. "Getting illegals out is big to me. Getting the drugs out of our country, getting faith back in our country. I feel like that's big — a president that openly supports the bible."Sue Miller, also from Virginia, says the founding fathers' vision for the US has "gone a little astray, but I think we're getting it back"."There's a little resurgence going on," she says.Sue Miller (right) said the US had "gone a little astray" from its founding fathers' vision, but there was now a "resurgence".