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President Donald Trump unveiled on Thursday his initiative to host the “Patriot Games” next year. This event will feature elite high school athletes from around the United States competing against each other. The games are part of a broader celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
Trump also introduced Freedom 250, an organization dedicated to spearheading the administration’s plans for the nation’s milestone birthday celebration in 2026.
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(The Hill) — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced plans for a “Patriot Games” next year that will pit top high school athletes from across the country against one another as part of a series of events to mark 250 years since the nation’s founding.
Trump announced the launch of Freedom 250, an organization that will lead the administration’s efforts to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday in 2026.
One of the events that will be featured as part of the festivities will be what Trump called the “first-ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory.” The event is slated for next fall.
“But I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports,” Trump added in a video posted to social media, a nod to his administration’s efforts to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
Other events planned for 2026 include a “Great American State Fair” that will feature exhibits from all 50 states on the National Mall from June 25-July 10; an Independence Day celebration that will include fireworks and a military flyover; and an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event that will take place at the White House on June 14.
The announcement of the “Patriot Games” prompted comparisons from some social media users to “The Hunger Games,” a fictional event from the book series in which tributes from various districts in a dystopian future fight to the death.
