Carrie Underwood And Gary Sinise Share Why They’re Proud To Be Americans

America is marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence this Fourth of July.

As the milestone closed in, some of entertainment's biggest names started explaining exactly why they love this country.

Carrie Underwood and Gary Sinise led the way, and what they had to say might surprise you.

Carrie Underwood Never Waited for Permission to Love This Country

Underwood has spent the last two years putting her patriotism front and center, milestone or not.

She performed "America the Beautiful" a cappella at President Trump's inauguration in January 2025 after the sound system cut out beneath her.

Just ahead of the country's 250th birthday, she posted a video of herself driving past a fence lined with 1,800 American flags near her Tennessee home.

"I can't believe I get to live here. Thank you, Lord," she wrote in the caption.

She's also made a habit of honoring the troops directly, sharing a throwback from her 2006 USO tour on Veterans Day.

Gary Sinise Has Spent Decades Backing Up the Words

Sinise earned his reputation the hard way, starting with his Oscar-nominated turn as Lieutenant Dan in "Forrest Gump" back in 1994.

He built a rock band around that role, and the Lt. Dan Band has since played hundreds of free shows for troops on USO tours worldwide.

In 2011 he founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars for veterans, first responders and their families.

During a recent appearance on OutKick's "Tomi Lahren is Fearless," Sinise pointed to Buc-ee's, of all places, to make his point.

"I don't take my freedom for granted," Sinise said, naming a gas station and air conditioning as things most Americans never stop to appreciate.

He also recalled watching a visitor from Scotland marvel that his restaurant meal simply came with bread at no extra charge.

From Dolly Parton to Chuck Norris the Reasons Are the Same

Fox's feature didn't stop at two names, and that's the part worth paying attention to.

Dolly Parton has said for years that she isn't political, but she's patriotic to her core, and she proved it by headlining the "A Capitol Fourth" concert in Washington back in 2003.

Reba McEntire built her entire career on a patriotic moment, discovered at 19 after singing the national anthem a cappella at a rodeo in Oklahoma.

Candace Cameron Bure, Kelsey Grammer, Mark Wahlberg and Dennis Quaid all shared the same sentiment in their own words.

That's a dozen entertainers refusing to hide how they feel, all in one feature.

Jon Voight and James Woods round out the group, both longtime fixtures at veterans' events who've never been shy about their politics.

Even the late Chuck Norris made the cut, remembered for a lifetime of messaging built around faith, patriotism and civic duty before his death earlier this year.

Fox didn't need to manufacture a theme here, since it was already sitting in plain sight across a dozen different careers.

Analysis

Fox timed this feature for a reason, and it isn't subtle.

Sinise's own patriotism carries a weight that goes beyond bumper-sticker sincerity, since his late son Mac's music will play at this year's Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C.

Mac died from a rare cancer, and his father chose to mark his memory the same way he's marked everything else, in service to the country.

That's the difference between saying you love America and building your whole life around it.

A recent Gallup poll found only 14 percent of Democrats now call themselves extremely proud to be American, a record low in the survey's 25-year history.

Republicans still sit at 70 percent.

Against that backdrop, a dozen entertainers willing to say they love this country without hedging isn't just a feel-good feature, it's a rebuttal.

Underwood and Sinise didn't need a poll to tell them how to feel about their country, and neither did the names right behind them.

That's worth remembering this weekend, whatever the numbers say.

Sources:

• Ashley Hume, "Carrie Underwood, Gary Sinise lead stars who've shared why they're proud to be Americans," Fox News, July 3, 2026.
• Matthew Reigle, "'Forrest Gump' star Gary Sinise tells Tomi Lahren why Americans should cherish everyday freedoms," OutKick, June 2026.
• "Gary Sinise analyzes record US military recruitment," Fox News Video, July 2026.
• Jeffrey Jones, "American Pride Falls to 25-Year Record Low," Gallup, June 2026.