Trump Announces ‘Patriot Games,’ a D.C. Showdown Involving 1 Young Man and Woman from Every State and Territory

President Donald Trump says he wants to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary next year with what he called “the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen,” including a new athletic competition he dubbed the “Patriot Games.”

In a video shared by Freedom 250 on Thursday, Dec. 18, Trump, 79, said the country has already held major events recognizing the 250th anniversaries of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps — and promised more on the way.

“We’re going to have a good time,” he said.

Trump described the Patriot Games as a four-day event planned for the fall, featuring top high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory — competing in what he called an “unprecedented” showcase.

During the announcement, Trump also reiterated his administration’s stance on transgender participation in sports, saying, “But I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports.” He referenced his February executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which sought to bar trans women from competing on women’s sports teams. “You’re not gonna see that,” he added. “You’ll see everything but that.”

Freedom 250’s official website did not provide many further details beyond Trump’s description. The group added that the competition will build toward a final day held in front of a live audience: “From opening heats to the live final day in front of a live audience, these competitors will light the torch for a new generation of Americans.”

The Patriot Games are part of a broader slate of ideas Trump previewed for the anniversary year. He also mentioned plans for a state fair on the National Mall, “the largest fireworks display in the world,” and a “National Garden of American Heroes” featuring “statues of all-time greatest Americans,” along with a proposed “triumphal arc.”

Trump also returned to another concept he has floated: a UFC event at the White House. On Thursday, he said the plan would bring together championship-level fighters in a single night, with UFC President Dana White involved.

“It’ll be the greatest champion fighters in the world, all fighting that same night. The great Dana White is hosting, and it’s going to be something special,” Trump said.

Trump first discussed his anniversary plans publicly during remarks at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3, when he said celebrations would extend across the country to “every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites.” He said the commemorations would include multiple “special events,” including the UFC fight, and noted his friendly relationship with White, who supported him at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

At the time, Trump said the White House event would involve building an octagon and could draw 20,000 to 25,000 spectators. Earlier this month, he said the fight would take place on June 14, 2026, and would include between eight and nine championship bouts, according to USA Today.