LEE CARTER: 45% of Americans calling themselves 'independent' aren't independent at all – they're just angry

Here's what we're not saying out loud: independent voters aren't independent at all. They're just angry.

Forty-five percent of Americans now identify as political independents. That's a record. It beat the 43% we saw in 2023. But here's the thing — these people aren't sitting in some enlightened middle ground. They're out of the fray because both parties have let them down so badly that rejecting the label feels like the only honest option left.

This isn't about ideology. This is rage dressed up as a polling category.