President Donald Trump’s announcement of the “Patriot Games” on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, sparked immediate mockery online as critics drew striking comparisons to Suzanne Collins’ dystopian novel “The Hunger Games.” The announcement, part of celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary, outlined an unprecedented four-day athletic competition featuring one young man and one young woman high school athlete from each state and territory.
The format bears an uncomfortable resemblance to Collins’ 2008 novel, which depicts a totalitarian government forcing children to compete in a televised fight to the death. In “The Hunger Games,” one boy and one girl are selected as “tributes” from each district to participate in the lethal competition, a premise that immediately came to mind for social media users following Trump’s revelation.
“I’m sorry but is he announcing the Hunger Games?” one X user wrote, capturing the sentiment of thousands who flooded social media with reactions. The parallel structure of selecting exactly one male and one female representative from each geographic region proved too similar to ignore for many observers.
Political figures quickly joined the online mockery. California Governor Gavin Newsom shared memes comparing Trump to the series’ antagonist, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker posted an image of President Snow, the despotic leader who orchestrates the games in Collins’ fictional nation of Panem. The character, portrayed by Donald Sutherland in the film adaptations starring Jennifer Lawrence, serves as the embodiment of authoritarian control.
The official Democrats X account amplified the criticism by sharing a clip from the 2012 film adaptation.
Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen quipped about the announcement with characteristic sarcasm, stating, “We asked for affordable health care and Republicans are giving us the Hunger Games.”
The Patriot Games represent just one component of Trump’s ambitious vision for 2026, which he described as “the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen.” In his three-minute video message from the Oval Office, the president outlined numerous festivities spread throughout the year to mark 250 years of American freedom.
The celebration schedule includes the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, running from June 25 to July 10, 2026. This event will feature pavilions from all 50 states, “highlighting breathtaking innovations and celebrating America’s exceptional history and culture,” according to Trump, who predicted, “Frankly, you’ll never see anything like it and you’ll never see anything like it again.”
Additional planned attractions include illuminating the Washington Monument with festive lights and constructing a triumphal arch. Trump emphasized the significance of this monument, noting that “we are the only major city, we are the only major capital, we are the only major place without a triumphal arc,” referencing France’s Arc de Triomphe. Construction is scheduled to begin “in the very near future,” overseen by Domestic Policy Council boss Vince Haley.
The president also announced plans for the National Garden of American Heroes, featuring life-size statues of notable figures including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Muhammad Ali and Albert Einstein. Spring will bring a major prayer event to “rededicate our country as one nation under God,” while Flag Day will see the White House host a UFC event organized by Trump ally Dana White.
Trump emphasized that the Patriot Games, scheduled for fall 2026, would maintain strict policies regarding transgender athletes. “I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports,” he stated. “You’re not gonna see that. You’ll see everything but that.”
The announcement established Freedom 250, a new public-private partnership designed to coordinate the anniversary celebrations. This organization will work with states, companies and organizations nationwide, with Trump promising it would “renew the patriotism, pride, and pioneering spirit of America and lay the groundwork for the next 250 years of independence and freedom.”
Some critics went beyond the Hunger Games comparison, suggesting the entire announcement appeared artificially generated. The grandiose nature of the plans, combined with the specific selection format for the athletic competition, struck many observers as either poorly conceived or deliberately provocative.
The timing of the announcement, coming during the holiday season and more than a year before the actual events, allowed ample opportunity for public reaction and debate. Whether the Patriot Games will proceed as announced remains to be seen, but the immediate response demonstrates how cultural references shape political discourse in the digital age.
