Hunger Games, MAGA Style

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.

Organizers convened 120 teenagers from across the country—in their telling, the “next generation of leaders, competitors, and champions,” but also whoever happened to respond to an online request for personal essays and video entries—at a high school in Geneva, Ohio (population 5,924), roughly 45 miles northeast of downtown Cleveland.

For three days, they competed in gym-class staples such as ball tosses, long jumps, tug-of-war, dodgeball, and an arcade-style basketball game called Victory Hoops.

The field was narrowed to eight contestants who competed before the president on Tuesday night, clambering through a Ninja Warrior –style obstacle course while wearing red, white, and blue.

One boy and one girl were crowned champions, and each was given a $125,000 scholarship.

Over the past several days, ESPN has streamed more than 26 hours of this contest, and I have consumed many of those hours—but I have yet to fully understand why this competition happened or what it has to do with American history, or even with American culture at this moment.

I could barely follow how the various events were scored.

It was like watching a nationally televised field day—with wholesome moments and cheerful contestants along the way—but it was unclear what the grand takeaway was supposed to be. (Perhaps that will be revealed when the event is condensed into a one-hour special airing tonight on ABC.) More than anything, it was a reality-television-style snapshot of the America that Trump most wants to see.

The contestants were overwhelmingly white, in a country where roughly half of children are not, and many spoke openly of their Christian faith or their affection for this particular president. [ Read: The YOLO presidency ] When Trump showed up on Tuesday night, accompanied by the ESPN commentator Pat McAfee , the crowd erupted.

“He’s got that Michael Jordan glow,” one spectator said.

“We love you, Mr.