As we ring in the new year, America begins its celebration of the 250th anniversary of its founding. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and America became an independent nation. Established by Congress in 2016, the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission has worked to organize the country’s celebration of its 250th birthday and has worked closely with the America250 non-profit organization, which is chaired by former U.S. Treasurer Rosa Rios. The groups have worked hard to plan many events throughout the year in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and to complete America 250’s goal “to engage all 350 million Americans by our nation’s 250th anniversary.” These events include historical reenactments and drone shows across the country, celebrations of important American historical figures, fireworks above Mount Rushmore, and America’s Potluck. The most divisive events, however, came from a video released on YouTube on December 18, 2025 by Freedom 250, in which Trump announced events including the construction of the National Garden of American Heroes and a triumphal arc, the Great American State Fair, a UFC fight on the White House lawn on Flag Day, and his plans for the Patriot Games, which many across the internet have scrutinized as being incredibly similar to the popular book and movie series The Hunger Games.
In the video, Trump 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,” and promised, “there will be no men playing in women’s sports. You’re not going to see that. You’ll see everything but that.” Many across the internet immediately recognized the event’s similarity to that of The Hunger Games, noting that children, one boy and one girl, in a similar age range, 12- to 18-year-olds, are chosen from each District in the country of Panem, similar to the states and territories in America. The Games could also be considered an athletic event, showcasing the strongest children of each District; however, children in The Hunger Games are fighting to the death, which is a very different athletic event than the Patriot Games. However, what kind of athletic events the American children will be competing in this Fall is still unknown, along with how each contender will be chosen.
The official TikTok account of the Democratic Party also joined in on The Hunger Games comparison, posting the original announcement video with an opening of the Capitol TV logo, the official, government-run television station in The Hunger Games. The Democratic Party also posted a video imitating the recent casting announcements for the movie adaptation of the newest Hunger Games installment, Sunrise on the Reaping, with the video announcing Trump as the dictatorial leader of Panem, President Snow.
While much about this event is unknown, the public has been speculating about how and when high schoolers will be chosen to compete in the Patriot Games. Due to the event’s Fall date, it is technically possible that the students could be ‘reaped’ on July 4, as it happens in The Hunger Games. All we know now is that the ‘reaping’ will need to happen soon. Only time will tell.
