The Patriot Games — the teenage athletics competition organized by the White House-affiliated Freedom 250 group — is reportedly struggling to fill seats for Tuesday night’s finale when President Donald Trump is set to attend.
Freedom 250, the nonprofit behind the Great American State Fair and other MAGA-aligned events marking America’s 250th birthday, has been “bombarding” people with emails ahead of the event in Geneva, Ohio, to ensure that Trump receives a large crowd, according to The Daily Beast.
Ticket registration for the event was still open on Freedom 250’s website as of Tuesday morning.
Email blasts were sent out this week with a “FINAL CALL,” urging people to join the president. “This is your absolute last chance,” the email said. “Join President Donald J. Trump at the 2026 Patriot Games!”
Freedom 250 said the 14-17-year-olds competing represent “America's great states and territories, alongside athletes from tribal nations.” The teens are competing for a share of the $250,000 prize, which will be divided between the winning boy and girl.
Crowds at the three-day event were described by The Washington Post as “slim,” with “no outside spectators.”
“Spectators wandered between an indoor arena and outdoor stadium, regularly stopping by the mess hall for refreshments,” the Post’s Noah White reported. “At times, parents lay inside watching on their phones instead of sitting in the heat, thinning an already slim crowd with no outside spectators.”
“The vibe was more Little League than youth Olympics,” the report added.
The Independent has contacted Freedom 250 for comment.
“After three days of fierce competition, only eight athletes remain. The nation’s top high school athletes take the field one final time in the 2026 Patriot Games Finale, where one male and one female competitor will be crowned the inaugural 2026 Patriot Games champions,” the group said in a statement to the Daily Beast.
The competition has been likened to The Hunger Games by critics due to the premise of a girl and a boy from different territories fighting it out for the prize, reminiscent of the plot from the hit dystopian novel and films.
It began Sunday and is being broadcast live on the ESPN app, while Trump’s event is slated for a one-hour primetime special, airing Thursday on ABC.
“All of this just feels quite weird,” one ESPN crew member at the games told the Post.
Teenagers at the games have been sharing content on social media, including footage from a neon “glow party.”
In pictures and videos from the event, the stands appeared largely empty during the outdoor competitions.
Participants were only notified that they were selected to compete two weeks before the event, according to the Post.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the games in an August 8 social media post. “President Trump looks forward to attending the Patriot Games in Ohio on Tuesday as we continue to celebrate 250 years of American greatness,” Leavitt said on X.
It follows Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair, which ended after a two-week run last month that was marked by several controversies, including cancellations from musicians and weather-related closures.
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