Trump's "Hunger Games": The President to attend the "Patriot Games" final
120 teenagers from across the USA are competing in Ohio for scholarships totaling $250,000 in an event supported by the White House. The structure, featuring representatives from every state competing before a national audience, has drawn comparisons to "The Hunger Games," albeit without the lethal stakes. Donald Trump, who conceived the idea, will arrive to watch the final stages.
US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive tonight (between Tuesday and Wednesday) in Ohio to watch the final of the "Patriot Games" — a sports competition for teenagers that the White House is promoting as part of the 250th anniversary events of the United States. Since its announcement, the event has struggled to avoid amusing and slightly disturbing comparisons to "The Hunger Games."
The reason is clear: a boy and a girl were chosen from each of the US states, alongside competitors representing American territories, military families stationed overseas, and tribal communities. In total, 120 teenagers aged 14 to 17 are participating, competing for three days before a national audience. In complete contrast to Suzanne Collins' dystopian book series, where participants are sent to a fight to the death on television, here no one is at risk: the prize is study scholarships totaling $250,000.
Tonight, the semi-finals and the final will be held, at the end of which a champion boy and girl will be crowned, and each will receive a scholarship of $125,000.
The road to the American "Hunger Games" included a screening process. Candidates were required to submit a video, a personal essay, and data on their athletic performance, from which a weighted score was compiled. According to CNN, recruitment was not limited to public advertising: some participants heard about the competition through Instagram influencers, and others through bodies associated with the military. It was also reported that not all competitors live in the state they represent — among them a Texas resident representing Puerto Rico and a competitor from Massachusetts who studies in California.
The tasks themselves were designed to test the "complete athlete." Participants competed in the 100-meter dash, hurdles, standing long jump, and medicine ball throw, and later moved on to team games like dodgeball and kickball. Yesterday, an obstacle course and a round combining skills from soccer, tennis, football, volleyball, and baseball were added. In the knockout stages, tug-of-war and a basketball shooting competition also await them.
Not everything is clear even to the competitors. According to CNN, the scoring system combines individual scores throughout the rounds, but some teenagers wondered how exactly their score would be determined in the team competitions.
Donald Trump himself raised the idea of the games back in 2023, during his presidential campaign, when he presented his plans for the 250th anniversary celebrations of the USA. He promised "big sports competitions for high school students," where young people from every state could demonstrate the best of "talent, sportsmanship, and American competitive spirit."
The event fits well into the tightening connection between Trump's presidency and sports. In June, the President hosted a UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House as part of the Freedom 250 celebrations, and later became the first sitting president to attend an NBA final game. Last month, he took the stage at the World Cup final in New Jersey to participate in the trophy presentation — and received loud boos from the crowd. Now he is also promoting an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington as part of the 250th celebrations.
In this American version of 2026, the "Hunger Games" end in a less dystopian way: instead of a struggle for life and death, the two winners will receive significant assistance for college studies. The other 118 competitors will settle for national exposure, an appearance on ESPN — and the opportunity to see the President of the United States up close.
