‘Patriot Games’: Trump Administration Plans Televised High-School Athletic Contest With Celebrity Coaches

The Trump administration is planning a televised athletic competition called the “Patriot Games” as part of the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebrations. The four-day event, announced by President Donald Trump, would pair one male and one female high-school athlete from each state and territory with celebrity coaches.

A spokesperson for Freedom 250, the nonprofit coordinating the anniversary programming, told CNN that organizers are recruiting celebrity coaches but did not disclose any names. The competition is scheduled for the fall and is intended to spotlight high-school athletes nationwide.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be open to athletes aged 14 to 17 from all 50 states, U.S. territories and tribes. Applicants who will turn 18 before December 31 of the competition year will be ineligible. Organizers say athletic talent will not be the only selection criterion; prospective contestants must submit an online video application responding to prompts that explain why they want to represent their state.

Format, Leadership And Public Reaction

Organizers have not released details about which sports or specific contests will be included. President Trump has described the Patriot Games as "an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory." Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been named as a partner in hosting the event.

The announcement has provoked online comparisons to the fictional Hunger Games series, in which youths compete in televised, life-or-death contests. Critics and observers have used the comparison to question the optics of staging a televised youth competition tied to political anniversary events.

Other 250th-Anniversary Events

The Patriot Games are one element of a broader slate of planned federal activities for the 250th anniversary. Other proposed events and initiatives include a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn, construction of a large triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial, an August IndyCar race near the National Mall, and a series of traveling history exhibits modeled on the 1976 American Freedom Train.

The president signed an order directing the Interior and Transportation departments to work with Washington, D.C., officials to expedite planning for the IndyCar event; it may require congressional approval. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser endorsed the race as an economic boost for the city, saying it would help fill hotels and restaurants.

History Exhibits And Institutional Review

Planners say the National Archives’ "Freedom Plane" will bring founding-era documents to eight cities in 2026. The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced six "Freedom Truck" mobile museums that will include materials from conservative organizations such as PragerU and Hillsdale College.

At the same time, the administration has begun a high-profile review of the Smithsonian Institution and asked for the museum complex’s 250th programming to emphasize content that "renews national pride." In a December letter, administration officials wrote:

"The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history..."

Freedom 250 and federal agencies say planning is ongoing and that more specifics, including the names of celebrity coaches and the exact sporting events, will be released as details are finalized.