President Trump made a brief appearance on Tuesday at the finals of the Patriot Games, the three-day teen athletics tournament his administration helped organize as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The administration was likely hoping for a better turnout than its Great American State Fair, which suffered widespread mockery online and poor attendance.
The Republican arrived Tuesday evening on a rainy day in Cleveland to take in the competition, which was being held at the SPIRE Academy sports boarding school, where organizers reportedly again struggled to fill seats.
He entered the arena in a shower of sparklers alongside ESPN’s Pat McAfee, leading a group of competitors who had battled against delegations representing all 50 states and various U.S. territories and tribal nations to make it to the final.
For a Donald Trump production, the president was relatively muted, giving a brief interview with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge about how he was “very proud” of the athletes and parents in the room while praising their “love for our country.” Naturally, he also did his signature shimmy dance move as confetti fell on the winners.
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open image in galleryThe upbeat atmosphere masked some of the questions that have swirled around the event.
Student athletes, who won entrance to the games based on patriotic video submissions rather than qualifying competition, told The Washington Post they were unnerved to see those chosen to compete were almost entirely white, despite the country’s wide diversity.
“It’s a little startling,” one player said. “This is supposed to be the best high school athletes. … It just feels a little concerning not to see very many different types of people.”
Other critics noted multiple states had non-residents representing them.
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open image in galleryThough the president didn’t appear to comment on it at the games, another key thread was gender and athletics.
The White House has cracked down on federally supported schools that allow transgender people to compete in leagues matching their gender identity, and the president pledged last year that “there will be no men playing in women’s sports” at the games.
For their part, many of the student competitors seemed to be enjoying themselves, chanting “USA!” and cheering the president during the finals.