It's kind of hard to ignore. Since the presidential election last November, it is pretty easy to spot Republicans. We are the ones who seem to have permanent smiles painted on our faces. Many Americans have been breathing sighs of relief since Election Night, maybe some more secretly. But a new Gallup poll may have another clue as to how you spot the Republicans in a crowded room. They are the ones who are swigging down the Shirley Temples, and they are just fine with it. Could life just be a little bit sweeter these days for the GOP?
The new Gallup poll shows that Republicans are swearing off alcohol at record levels to the tune of a nearly 90-year low. The number of U.S. adults in general who do not drink any alcohol has dropped to 54 percent, as of July 2025. It is the lowest percentage of alcohol consumption among Americans since the poll began in 1939. It is the most significant decrease among self-identified Republicans.
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According to the poll, 46 percent of Republicans reported consuming alcohol this year, a decrease of almost a third from 2023. Yet, Democrats who said they had consumed alcohol were down only five percent. Gee, I wonder why... While we chew on possible reasons Democrats may have for wanting to drown their sorrows, the poll also revealed that Americans' drinking habits in general could be shifting because of a re-evaluation of the overall health effects of alcohol. Data showed that two-thirds of people ages 18-34 now say that drinking in moderation, which is defined as one to two drinks per day, was bad for their health. Half of those in that group do not drink at all, an increase from 41 percent in 2023.
Some in the alcohol industry have speculated on why alcohol consumption among Americans is down. Reasons range from the availability of legal marijuana to the use of GLP-1 obesity drugs. But for Republicans, the reasons behind their backing away from the bar are even more varied. President Trump might be the most famous Republican teetotaler. He has been very open about not drinking after the death of his brother, Fred, Jr., at just 42 years of age from alcoholism. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also swore off alcohol after being addicted to heroin in his youth. Other prominent Republicans like Tucker Carlson and Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk also do not drink. There is also speculation that certain groups of voters targeted by the GOP, such as Evangelical Christians, Mormons, and the Amish, have increased the number of Republicans who do not drink.
Alcohol consumption has fallen overall in almost every demographic, including women, white people, and those in both the low and high income categories. Those who do drink say they drink an average of 2.8 drinks, down from 3.8 in 2024.
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But let's get back to those Democrats whose drinking habits have only shrunk by five percent. It's kind of easy to see why. They have to endure three-and-a-half more years of winning from Donald Trump. Had they not thrown everything but the kitchen sink at him from the minute he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower, they would have been done with him in 2024. Now, they have to deal with a Trump who does not have to worry about reelection, unless it's to troll them and say he "probably" won't run in 2028. And because he really doesn't have to give two flips what the left thinks, is, in his second term, in the immortal words of Rush Limbaugh, "having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have."
Oh, sure, there are those of us who have our boozy adventures to tell, the ones where we insert the word "allegedly" before the best part. Rest assured, we will have more...cocktails and their related stories. But many of our Republican brethren have decided the best way to experience the golden age of Trump is sober.
Editor's Note: President Trump and his administration are leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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