Trump to create 'Patriot Games' for top high school athletes

[Initech]

President Donald Trump announced plans to hold a four-day athletic competition among the nation's top high school athletes, as part of a series of events his administration is hosting to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday in 2026.

Trump is calling the event the “Patriot Games.” The competition will feature “one young man and one young woman from each state and territory" and is scheduled to take place next fall.

“But I promise, there will be no men playing in women’s sports," Trump said in a video about his plans to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial next year. "You're not going to see that. You’ll see everything but that.”

Democrats mocked Trump on social media, comparing the athletic event to "The Hunger Games," a dystopian book and movie series where two children from every district must fight to the death in a competition held by their government.

Some on social media defended the games, arguing that they promoted youth athleticism and compared the event to the Olympics.

Besides the Patriot Games, other events sponsored by Freedom 250 will include a “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall featuring pavilions from all 50 states, a “National Prayer Event” and a Memorial Day parade.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/18/trump-patriot-games-athletes-america-250/87833920007/

A real life Hunger Games. What the actual fuck? This man is deranged.

[murielm99]

1. Did he see one of the Hunger Games movies?

I can't imagine that he read one of the books.

[artemisia1]

2. Much as I dislike Trump, I'm not necessarily against this. Providing the U.S.'s top young athletes an opportunity to

excel and show their stuff is a good idea. Unfortunately, I suspect Trump will ruin this by making it all about himself.

[sheshe2]

3. Don't f**k with Katness Evergreen.

[RockRaven]

4. Opportunity for some very Jesse Owens 1936 moments, I guess.

[artemisia1]

5. I would love nothing more than the overall winner to be a Mexican or Venezuelan born naturalized citizen. /nt

[RockRaven]

6. I would like all 104 athletes to be people of color, just to see his sour f-ing face

at not having the type of photo-ops he imagined.

[mwooldri]

7. IMO he missed the mark entirely.

He could have had a proper Olympic sized event. A delegation from every state. Not just two people.

Then again maybe he's trying to revive "Jeux Sans Frontières"... I'll let you search for the clips on YouYube... Particularly appropriate considering who the BBC commentator was for those pan-European shows. If only his administration was as funny as that show was.

[DFW]

8. Tom Clancy's ghost will be flattered

Maybe Trump even read the book, back when he could read.

[tanyev]

9. And the tributes will all be expected to participate in pro-Trump propaganda?

And if they don’t, there will be dire consequences for their home state?


😒

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. Sounds familiar...

Didn't he want to create spectacles in order to distract from his complete ineptitude?

I believe he did.