Latest news with #PatriotGames
The Hill
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Jelly Roll: White House UFC fight plans ‘awesome'
Jason DeFord, the country singer known as Jelly Roll, was hyped up about President Trump's proposal for the White House to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the South Lawn, saying earlier this week that it would be 'awesome.' 'Now, listen, I know this is causing a little bit of controversy, but for me, I think it's awesome. I'm not gonna lie,' the 'Save Me' singer said Thursday while guest hosting ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.' 'Where I'm from, watching two meth heads beat the p— out of each other on a lawn is just a part of our year,' he added. 'I tell you what, a UFC fight at the White House might not be what our Founding Fathers would have wanted. But our founding stepdads would have loved that s—.' Jelly Roll, who made waves last year after testifying on Capitol Hill about the fentanyl crisis, then joked that the U.S. should add an octagon to the Pentagon and allow geometry teachers to 'fight it out.' Trump, who has attended his fair share of UFC fights over the years, first floated the idea of hosting a 'championship fight' at the White House earlier this month during a trip to Iowa. The event will be part of the celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary next year, which is also expected to include a youth sporting event dubbed the 'Patriot Games,' according to the president. 'We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We're going to build a little — we're not, Dana's going to do it,' he said, referring to UFC CEO Dana White. 'Dana's great. One of a kind.' White has also shared his enthusiasm for the fight, claiming 'everybody' wants to add their name to the list of fighters. 'I mean, you don't even have to know who's blowing up my phone,' White said Sunday during a post-fight press conference at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. 'You can just see it all on the Internet.' 'But, you know, the fight's a year away, so the landscape will change a lot over the next year,' he added. Trump suggested the event, which will likely require various permits, could host up to 25,000 people.
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Something For The Weekend – Patrick Bergin's cultural picks
Over the past four decades, actor Patrick Bergin has been a welcome fixture on screens big and small, whether starring alongside Julia Roberts in Sleeping With the Enemy and Harrison Ford in Patriot Games, or stealing the show in soaps like Red Rock and EastEnders. He's an accomplished songwriter, to boot! We asked Patrick for his choice cultural picks... FILM My favourite film is one called The Fiend Who Walked the West, it is a gothic-horror. I like westerns ,that film had a profound, almost subliminal effect on me as a teenager. It starred Hugh O'Brian as a bank robber and Robert Evans, who provided the persona for the character I played in Sleeping with the Enemy. Don't watch it on your own… MUSIC Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan and Get Your Ya-Ya's Out by the Rolling Stones loom large in my favourites, as do Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen. I sang Anthem for the pope at Croke Park. Kíla are my favourite Irish band, and Elanor Shanley is great! I'm always a sucker for a hairy Irish ballad, Liam Clancy being The Master. BOOK The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell. Tressell is obviously a nom-de plume and the book was a definite step in my appreciation of social issues in literature and art. Fanny Hill as bedtime reading… nuff said! I'm currently reading Terror, Tears and Tragedy by Noel Howard is a fascinating book about my wife Helen Gold-Bergin's grandmother Lady Louisa Morgan Mountcashel, one that encompasses the early suffragettes, the first divorce in Ireland and a court case that enthralled the world. THEATRE Philadelphia, Here I Come! by Brian Friel. This was one of the first plays I ever saw with my brother Emmet in it. He sadly passed last year, I had seen him perform in The Eblana, The Abbey and The Gaiety. He was a great and well-known actor. My mother worked in the Green Room at the Gaiety and my father, a Labour Senator helped start The Little Theatre In Carlow, and the theatre is still going strong today. TV Like my hero Bob Dylan, I avidly watch Coronation Street and of course I'm loyal to Eastenders! I love Nationwide and travel programmes. High Road, Low Road is also entertaining. I love anything with a train. My grandfather was the signalman at Carlow Station. GIG Kíla at the Cloughjordan amphitheater were magnificent. Rónán Ó Snodaigh is simply the best bodhrán player I have ever seen, he literally makes it talk and sing with astounding rhythms. Go see him whenever you get a chance! ART I love to visit the Duke Gallery on Duke Street, Dublin. Norman Teeling, Guggi, Graham Knuttel, John Campion, Sarah Langham and Helen Costello's sculptures are amoung my favourites. RADIO I will miss Joe Duffy, but I also love his namesake Louise Duffy, and I am hoping she will play one of my songs on her show someday! John Creedon is brilliant, and if I am away from home the BBC World Service's Shipping Forecast is a great comfort. TECH Spotify, where I can check up on how my humble musical creations are doing, My duet with Eleanor Shanley, My Angel, gets a respectful number of streams every week, she is great. Simon Casey recorded my song The Tipperary Waltz, too.. Check it out! My music has also been used in a number of films. THE NEXT BIG THING... Let me think.. I'm delighted to say I have two movies in this year's Galway Film Festival: Sunphlowers, an Irish production, and The Captain, an English production for which I received a Best Actor award in the U.K. We are also working on the Lady Louisa film project, based on the book mentioned above. All in all I have been busy - on August 8th, I open the King John's Festival in Trim, Co Meath, and this September I am speaking at a brand new event, The Lovely Laois Homecoming Festival, the brainchild of Trudi Lalor, with various events across three days, including talks from myself, Noel Fitzpatrick (Supervet) and many more. Now, it's time to feed the goats!
LeMonde
08-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
The United States' 250th anniversary in 2026 is an occasion for Trump to celebrate a history stripped of any 'negative' aspects
The countdown to the 250 th anniversary of the United States has begun. One year ahead of the major anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, Donald Trump has announced the program of festivities. The 47 th American president's plans include a "Great American Fair" in Washington; a televised showdown called "Patriot Games" between young athletes from all 50 states under the supervision of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts (MMA) event at the White House. "We have a lot of land there. We're going to build a little," Trump explained, envisioning a spectacle for "20,000 to 25,000 people" at the residence that has housed every president since John Adams (1797-1801), the successor to George Washington (1789-1797). In a speech delivered on July 3 at Iowa's annual fair, Trump confirmed that he intended to make American history a "patriotic history" and that he would seize the opportunity of the country's 250 th anniversary to stand up to the "radical left bureaucrats" and all those who portray the "remarkable achievements" of the United States "in a negative light."
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
From UFC Fights to State Fairs, Trump Unveils Plans for Nation's 250th
DES MOINES – He was a teenager when the World's Fair came to his native Queens in 1964. As an adult, he built a casino along the Atlantic City boardwalk called Trump's World Fair. And as a candidate, he flew in a helicopter over the Iowa State Fair and took a bite from a pork chop on a stick. Now, as president, Donald Trump is trying to create the carnival-like atmosphere of state and world's fairs to showcase next year's celebration of the nation's 250th birthday. Trump on Thursday returned to the Iowa State Fairgrounds, a place that had little to do with the founding of the nation but one that has played a role in his political biography, to launch a year-long festival that will culminate on July 4, 2026. The centerpiece of that birthday celebration will be 'the Great American State Fair,' which Trump pitched to the crowd as 'an enormous year long nationwide celebration of our heritage.' 'We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding with a birthday party, the likes of which you have never seen before,' he said. The effort, he said, is going to include a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House that will be overseen by Dana White, the chief executive of UFC and a longtime Trump supporter. 'We have a lot of land there,' Trump said. 'We're going to have a UFC fight – championship fight, full fight, like 20,000, 25,000 people. . . . The UFC fight is going to be a big deal.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed he was serious about the proposal. Trump also said that he would host nationally televised athletic competitions showcasing high school students from each state in an event he's calling the 'Patriot Games.' That effort, he said, will be overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ('He's great,' Trump said. 'And he's a little different, right?') Much of his campaign rally-style, hourlong speech was spent touting the signature legislation that passed earlier in the day, a bill that he is planning to sign at the White House on Friday afternoon ahead of Independence Day fireworks. 'There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the one Big Beautiful Bill,' he said. At one point while describing the bill he used a term many consider to be an antisemitic slur while referencing unscrupulous bankers. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker – and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. Joe Biden in 2014 also used the term during a speech, later apologizing for it. The semiquincentennial celebrations will give the showman president a powerful platform from which to project his vision of U.S. strength and history onto the world. But at a moment when the country is deeply divided along partisan lines, the plans are also likely to spur vigorous debate over how to tell the story of the nation's history – and who should be the narrator. From the Oval Office, Trump has sought to reframe how American history is told, renaming federal monuments and creating displays that advance his vision of the country. He has denounced a full telling of that history, one that includes the country's flaws, as unpatriotic – stoking deep tensions about race and identity throughout his political career. Trump in March signed an executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' which claimed to address the ways his political opponents 'undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.' His administration has sought to minimize leaders and events that do not square with his ideology, stripping the name of gay rights leader Harvey Milk from a Navy ship and restoring the last names of Confederate generals to Army installations. In his remarks on Thursday, he touted his policies against transgender Americans, about making English the official language of the United States, and called those who pushed to rename military bases that previously honored Confederates 'radical left lunatics.' 'In everything we do, we're once again defending the values, traditions and beliefs that made every generation before us so very proud to be American,' he said. Trump originally conceived of the fair as an event on the Iowa State Fairgrounds that would bring 'millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special, one-time festival.' But the event has evolved into a more sprawling celebration beyond the pavilions of Des Moines with a grand title: 'A New Era of American Greatness.' Now, the America 250 Commission will host a two-week fair on the National Mall next year around July 4, including food vendors and exhibits from all 50 states, according the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private plans. The 'Great American State Fair' will also travel around the country to state and county fairs over the next year. Trump has said he wants the fair to 'promote pride in American history,' and expanded on plans in his speech. 'The Great American State Fair will bring America 250 programing to fairgrounds across the country, culminating in a giant patriotic festival next summer on the National Mall, featuring exhibits from all 50 states,' he said. He also said that he would celebrate the 250th anniversaries of the Navy and the Marines, just as he recently did for the Army. He again touted a rise in military recruitment numbers and the performance of troops who had recently executed a strike on Iran's nuclear capabilities, promoting his decision to authorize strikes on Iran and defending its results. The career entertainer, who often attends NASCAR races and UFC bouts, has long had a love of fairs and the rollicking and unpredictable settings they can provide. In 1996, he opened the Trump World's Fair Casino at an event that included strolling performers, jugglers, stilt walkers and high school marching bands – along with a fireworks and laser light display choreographed to music. It featured artifacts from and murals of past U.S. World's Fairs and included a 3,000-pound stainless steel sphere similar to the 'Unisphere' from the World's Fair held in 1964-1965 in Flushing Meadows. The biggest mural, however, rose over an escalator and was of Trump himself, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'We've been looking forward to this day for a long time,' Trump said when it opened. 'Trump World's Fair is an exciting destination, uniquely designed around the World's Fair theme, that we know will be well-received.' About three years later, it closed. It was losing some $10 million per year. Falling glass panes had forced closures of businesses below. Eventually, it was demolished. Trump also installed a 'Unisphere' look-alike at the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Columbus Circle in Manhattan. City officials objected when he adorned the structure with 'Trump International' in big letters. 'Well, do you know originally they wanted to tear down the Eiffel Tower?' he said during a 2008 appearance with shock jock Howard Stern. 'Do you know the Eiffel Tower was built just during the World Fair?' One of Trump's most significant experiences with a fair came when he was an early presidential candidate in 2015. He arrived at one known for its deep-fried foods, presidential candidates speaking from bales of hay and a life-size cow carved from 600 pounds of butter. Trump made his appearance that year from a black helicopter emblazoned with bold letters spelling T-R-U-M-P, circling several times before landing. Hillary Clinton was strolling below him, posing for selfies. Trump emerged wearing his signature red cap along with white dress shoes and French cuffs. He offered rides in his helicopter to randomly selected handfuls of Iowa children. When Trump won a second term last year, Iowa's leaders responded, ready to execute his vision of a fair. 'We know the Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the country!' Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote on X on Nov. 7, two days after the election. 'In Iowa, we dream big, and we stand ready to host the Great American State Fair!' Iowa state lawmakers in May approved legislation to allow state residents to set off fireworks around Independence Day and New Year's Eve, an effort to align it with the festive atmosphere Trump is seeking for next year's celebrations. During the debate, opponents questioned why the state was changing its laws to appease the president, while others pointed to firework displays dating to the nation's founding. 'Mr. President, we welcome that idea in Iowa, and we're ready, willing and able to host the party,' state Rep. Bill Gustoff said during debate on the measure. 'We need to enable Iowans to be part of that celebration.' At one point during his remarks, a bang occurred in the distance. 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks. I hope,' said Trump, who survived an assassination attempt a year ago this month. 'Famous last words. My famous last words. 'Trump said, 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks.' You always have to think positive.'
Newsweek
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
What are the 'Patriot Games'? Trump's New Televised Sporting Competition
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump announced the launch of the "Patriot Games," a national sporting competition for top high school athletes from all 50 states, as part of the kick-off celebration for the United States' 250th anniversary. The announcement took place Thursday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, where Trump addressed supporters and detailed the event as a highlight of the upcoming Semiquincentennial festivities. The games are set to be nationally televised and intend to "show off the best of American skill, sportsmanship and competitive spirit," according to Trump's speech at the gathering. The announcement marks the start of yearlong celebrations leading up to America 250, scheduled to culminate next summer with major events on the National Mall in Washington. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. Alex Brandon/AP Photo Why It Matters The "Patriot Games" seek to spark national excitement but has already drawn scrutiny and differing reactions as it arrives amid a deeply polarized national climate. Trump has described the games as a way to unite the nation and highlight its youth talent, proclaiming that "there could be no better birthday present for America" than to celebrate the nation's values and competitive excellence. However, the games, as well as the broader anniversary festivities, have sparked questions about whether national unity can be achieved through events closely tied to Trump's political agenda. Organizers hope the yearlong series of celebrations will bridge divides, but recent cost-cutting measures and leadership changes at federal cultural institutions have complicated the planning. What To Know The Patriot Games: What Are They? Trump positioned the "Patriot Games" as an opportunity for young Americans to "show off the best of American skill, sportsmanship and competitive spirit," linking the event with patriotic celebration and national renewal. He also suggested adding other high-profile competitions, referencing potential UFC matches at the White House in the same speech. Organizers describe the games as part of a broader initiative to engage Americans across generations and backgrounds, reflecting "a monumental celebration, kicking off a new era of American greatness." Political Overtones and Controversy The announcement arrives against the backdrop of challenging preparations for the Semiquincentennial. Trump's administration has cut funding to federal cultural agencies and installed loyalists in key leadership roles. This has raised concerns among some historians and officials about the politicization of the festivities and whether events like the "Patriot Games" will further inflame, rather than bridge, partisan divides. The games have been promoted as apolitical, but Trump's own rhetoric has closely tied expressions of patriotism to support for his administration and policies. Involvement and Selection Details about the selection process for athletes participating in the "Patriot Games" have not been fully disclosed as of July 4. Trump said the event would include high school athletes from across the states taking part in a range of events but did not specify which sports or how athletes would be nominated or chosen to compete. Public and Institutional Challenges Federal funding reductions have already affected preparations for America 250. The National Endowment for the Humanities announced grant terminations to state humanities councils, impacting local programming, including readings of the Declaration of Independence and cultural events. Gabrielle Lyon, chair of the Illinois America 250 Commission, said, "It is very hard to understand how we can protect and preserve people's ability locally to make this mean something for them, if you're not funding the humanities councils." What People Are Saying Monica Crowley, U.S. Ambassador and America250 liaison, said: "[This is] something that I think that all Americans can come together to celebrate and honor our history as well as our present and our future." What Happens Next The "Patriot Games" and broader America 250 festivities are scheduled to culminate with major public events on July 4, 2026, on the National Mall and in communities nationwide. Organizers are expected to release additional details about the sports included, qualifying criteria for high school athletes, and broadcasting partners in the coming months. The extent to which these events will foster unity or continue to fuel controversy over their political associations remains to be seen as planning progresses. This article contains reporting from The Associated Press
