Hunger Games, MAGA Style
President Trump's 'Patriot Games,' a televised competition for teenagers, is analyzed as part of a series of semiquincentennial events reflecting the administration's unique cultural vision. The author questions the purpose and cultural relevance of the event, which featured obstacle courses and scholarships.
Why it matters
It illustrates how the current administration is utilizing public events and media to shape national identity and cultural narratives.
A gym-class-style competition might be the oddest 250th celebration yet.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP August 13, 2026 Share Save Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 12:25 T he semiquincentennial events that President Trump has personally directed have been a celebration of his very particular version of America. The bloody UFC fight on the White House lawn was followed by the sparsely attended Great American State Fair and a world-record-breaking July 4 fireworks show held alongside a dangerous lightning storm. Next weekend will bring a high-speed car race through the museum-lined streets of Washington. But of all of these festivities, the Patriot Games in Ohio this week might have been the oddest.
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