Patriot Games (event)
The Patriot Games was a sporting event founded by the Trump administration, held from August 9 to August 11, 2026. Each US state and Territory sent one male and female high school student to compete in the games. The Patriot Games was first announced in July 2025.
Planning
[edit]The Patriot Games was a sporting event founded by President Donald Trump in his second term, and was first announced in July 2025.[1] President Donald Trump announced plans for the event on December 18, 2025, in a video published by Freedom 250.[2][3] Trump stated in his announcement that he would not let transgender athletes compete.[4] The event was initially planned to be held in Washington D.C., but, in July 2026, the event was moved to SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.[5]
The games were a part of the United States' Semiquincentennial celebrations, with the games hosted by the Freedom 250 from August 9 through August 11, 2026.[6][7][8] The prize for each winner was $125,000 in scholarships.[9] Each state and territory were to send one male student and one female student selected by The Patriot Games to compete.[10][2]
The games
[edit]The event included skills initially tested by the Presidential Fitness Test, a military-esque boot camp course, and an obstacle course.[11]
All participants were between the ages of 14 and 17 and were United States citizens or legal residents. Several selected participants represented states that they do not live in, and the body of selected participants as a whole was described by CNN as "overwhelmingly white" with many participants coming from Christian schools. Transgender athletes were forbidden to compete.[10][4][12]
The event was broadcast on ABC and drew 1.21 million viewers.[13]
Kennadi Fuhrman, a competitor from Kansas, won the female category and Rockwell Myers, a competitor from Utah, won the male category.[14]
Response
[edit]Eric Cannon, writing for the Indiana Daily Student, compared the event to a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards event.[15] Governor Jeff Landry asked students in his state of Louisiana to apply.[16]
The X account for the Democratic Party quoted The Hunger Games: "And so it was decreed that, each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice." (The Hunger Games, 2012)"[4] Saturday Night Live made a similar comparison to that of the Democratic Party.[17]
Writing for The Guardian after the event concluded, Adam Gabbatt summarized the games as "something which allowed a vainglorious president to put himself front and center of something which was supposed to be a celebrating of the country".[18]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Trump Administration Announces Launch of 'Patriot Games' High School Competition". Athletic Business. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- 1 2 Maher, Kit (December 19, 2025). "Trump announces 'Patriot Games,' a youth athletic competition celebrating United States' 250th birthday". CNN. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Kiehl, Allison. "What are the 'Patriot Games'? Why Trump high school competition is part of 250th celebration". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Whatever happened to Trump's 'Patriot Games'?". The Independent. May 5, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Trump's first Patriot Games set for Sunday, with $250K in scholarship money at stake". The Athletic. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
- ↑ Waddick, Kinsey Crowley and Karissa (July 26, 2026). "Patriot Games 2 weeks out. Here is what we know about the events". USA Today. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Pequeño, Antonio. "Trump's Patriot Games: What We Know About Nationally Televised Event". Forbes. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Orton, Daniel (July 4, 2025). "What are the 'Patriot Games'? Trump's New Televised Sporting Competition". Newsweek. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ Sanchez, Camryn (July 1, 2026). "Arizona teens can apply now for the 'Patriot Games' as part of federal Freedom 250 celebrations". KJZZ. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- 1 2 "Patriot Games athletes represent states they aren't from | Advocate.com". www.advocate.com. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Damon C. "Trump's Patriot Games now has a home, events and prizes; what to know". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Isabelle Khurshudyan, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn (August 9, 2026). "Trump's Patriot Games are billed as a youth sports contest. They're also a test of patriotic branding | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
- ↑ Graves, Wren (August 21, 2026). "Trump's Patriot Games Bomb in Ratings". Consequence. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Fields, Ashleigha (August 11, 2026). "Winners crowned at Patriot Games next to Trump". The Hill. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
- ↑ Cannon, Eric (February 19, 2026). "OPINION: Theatrics at play in Trump's Patriot Games". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Landry asks students to apply for Patriot Games; summer competition to find top teens from across US". WBRZ. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Suter, Tara (December 21, 2025). "SNL mocks Trump's Patriot Games as 'Hunger Games,' effort to 'distract' from Epstein files". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 29, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- ↑ Gabbatt, Adam (August 12, 2026). "Patriot Games: Trump's 'freedom finale' to celebrate 250 is … a school sports day". The Guardian. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
