New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday gave a 15-minute speech on Friday, while sitting at George Washington's desk, criticizing U.S. policies. 

He wasn't the only Democrat who used America's 250th birthday to criticize President Trump, the state of the country, and its founders. 

Mamdani called the U.S. "a nation of contradictions," the New York Post reported. While being the wealthiest nation in history, he said, "children go to sleep at night while the world's first trillionaire hungers for more," he said, referring to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk whose net worth hovers near $1 trillion ever since the company went public last month.

Mamdani also took swipes at Trump, the health insurance industry, landlords and U.S. foreign policy. The mayor's attitudes reflect a growing animosity toward the United States among those on the left, polls show. 

An NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll released on Thursday found that more than half of Democrats said they are generally "not too proud" or "not proud at all" of being American. Nearly all Republicans, 93%, said they are generally "proud" or "very proud" of being American. Only 7% of Republicans shared most Democrats veiw that they are "not too proud" or "not proud at all" of being American. 

The NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll took place June 8-11, featuring 1,340 adults and had 3 percentage points as its margin of error.

The difference in attitudes was on display in the contrast between Mamdani's speech and President Trump's speech Friday evening at Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Trump called the U.S. the "most exceptional nation ever to exist" and vowed to never let communism encroach on its freedoms.

"We are the freest people on earth. We have the most righteous and enduring Constitution on earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on earth. And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history," Trump said. 

Members of the media were critical of the speech, calling it a "rally" for the president. Sawyer Hackett, political strategist and former communications director for former Rep. David Price, D-N.C., said Trump was using America's 250th birthday to "divide America and elevate himself." 

California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resource Committee, released a 55-page report on Thursday claiming that Trump "hijacked" what was supposed to a non-political celebration and made it all about him. The report alleges that the appropriations Congress approved for the holiday celebrations were "commandeered" over a period of months into an apparatus for raising and spending money in service of Trump's image and political agenda. 

"Donald Trump’s hijacking of America's 250th birthday will go down as one of the most corrupt, brazen abuses of public trust in presidential history, even by the dubious standards of this administration. As our country prepared to celebrate a milestone that belongs to every American, Trump and his operatives launched a hostile takeover of the bipartisan commission established by Congress to lead the celebration," Huffman said in a statement. 

Many Democratic states elected not to send officials to the Great American State Fair held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., The Hill reported.  Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, Illinois, Oregon and Connecticut all cited budget constraints in their reasons for not attending. Multiple media outlets, including The Hill and CNN, reported on smaller-than-expected crowd sizes at the fair. 

When asked by Fox News Digital if they were proud to be American citizens, several Democratic lawmakers said they believe America is an extraordinary country. However, they coupled that praise with criticism of Trump's policies. 

Texas Democrat Al Green declined to express pride in being an American and called for Trump's impeachment. 

"I am very proud to tell you that impeachment is an option to remove a reckless, ruthless, lawless president," he said. 

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said that Americans still have a reason to celebrate America's 250th birthday because they will still oppose "authoritarianism" and "a would-be king." 

Due to the high temperatures on July 4, many daytime events scheduled for Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C. were postponed or canceled, including the annual D.C. parade. But aircraft flyovers are planned throughout the day, as is a "Salute to America" celebration and fireworks show.