President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a first-of-its-kind national athletic competition dubbed the “Patriot Games."The competition places selected high school athletes from every US state and territory at the centre of the 2026 celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary, in a concept that blends patriotic ceremony with competitive spectacle in ways that have drawn comparisons to the Hunger Games franchise.Speaking at a campaign-style event, Trump said the four-day Patriot Games will take place in the fall of 2026 and feature one young man and one young woman from each state and territory. The athletes would compete in a nationally staged event designed to showcase “the greatest high school athletes” in the country, with Trump framing the competition as a celebration of youth, excellence and national pride.While details of the events, selection process and broadcast plans have not been released, the structure outlined by Trump evokes imagery familiar to audiences of dystopian fiction. .In the Hunger Games series, young competitors, one male and one female are selected from each district to participate in a nationally televised contest meant to symbolize unity and strength under a centralized authority.Trump’s proposal similarly emphasizes geographic representation, elite youth competition and a mass audience, all staged against the symbolic backdrop of the US capital.Trump stressed that the Patriot Games would maintain sex-based divisions in sport, reiterating that biological males would not compete in women’s events.The competition would be presented as a defining feature of the anniversary year, rather than a standalone sporting event..The Patriot Games are part of a broader package of events branded as “America 250,” which Trump described as “the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen.”The celebrations will open on July 4, 2026, with the Washington Monument illuminated in commemorative lighting.From June 25 to July 10, the National Mall will host a “Great American State Fair,” featuring pavilions from all 50 states showcasing innovations and cultural history.Trump also announced plans for the construction of a National Garden of American Heroes and a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., modeled after Paris’ Arc de Triomphe..Additional events include a large-scale prayer gathering on the National Mall next spring and a one-night UFC championship event at the White House on Flag Day, hosted by UFC president Dana White.To oversee the celebrations, Trump said a new public-private partnership called “Freedom 250” will coordinate with states, corporations and organizations nationwide.The White House has not yet released cost estimates, security plans or legislative timelines for the proposed projects. However, the prominence given to the Patriot Games, with its focus on youth competition, national symbolism and spectacle, has already sparked debate over how the United States should mark a milestone anniversary in an increasingly polarized political climate.
