President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new athletic competition for high school students as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, unveiling what he called the first-ever “Patriot Games.”
The nationwide event will bring together top high school athletes from every state and U.S. territory in a four-day competition designed to celebrate athletic excellence, patriotism, and American pride.
Trump revealed the plan during remarks from the Oval Office on Thursday, describing the Patriot Games as a landmark moment for young athletes across the country.
The president said the competition will feature one male and one female athlete from each state and territory, with events separated by sex.
Trump made clear there would be no co-ed competition, emphasizing that biological males will not be allowed to compete in female sports.
“But I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports,” Trump said. “You’re not going to see that.”
The announcement follows Trump’s February executive order enforcing Title IX protections and banning biological males from competing in women’s athletic events nationwide.
The Patriot Games will be held in the fall of 2026 as part of America’s semiquincentennial celebration, marking 250 years since the nation’s founding.
Freedom 250, the organization coordinating official anniversary events, said the competition will spotlight the nation’s best young athletes while honoring American tradition.
“This first-of-its-kind athletic competition will spotlight male and female high school athletes from every state and territory,” the organization said in a statement.
Details on the host city and specific athletic events have not yet been announced, though officials said the games will culminate in a live final day before a national audience.
Democrats quickly mocked the announcement, comparing the Patriot Games to the dystopian film series “The Hunger Games.”
The official Democratic Party account posted a quote from the movie suggesting young athletes were being forced into competition, per the New York Post.
The response sparked immediate backlash online, with critics accusing Democrats of attacking youth sports and physical fitness.
“So the Olympics are dystopian as well,” one user wrote in response to the post.
Trump allies argued the reaction exposed the left’s hostility toward competition, patriotism, and traditional values.
The Patriot Games are one of several major initiatives planned for America’s 250th anniversary, which Trump said will be “a celebration like no other.”
Additional events include a national prayer gathering, a massive tall ships parade in New York Harbor, a Great American State Fair on the National Mall, and a Salute to America fireworks display.
Trump also reaffirmed plans to construct the National Garden of American Heroes, featuring statues honoring the nation’s most influential figures.
“But all of this is just the beginning,” Trump said. “2026 will be a celebration of America in all of its glory.”
