CNN turned its attention to the racial and religious backgrounds of teenagers who participated in President Donald Trump’s Patriot Games, with the network reporting that athletes highlighted on the event’s social media appeared to be “overwhelmingly white.”
CNN host Audie Cornish discussed the network’s analysis Wednesday on “CNN This Morning” after the inaugural youth athletic competition concluded with two winners.
“Two winners now crowned in President Trump’s Patriot Games. The president promised the best of the best student athletes,” Cornish said. “I’m not sure that’s what we got.”
The Patriot Games, hosted by the Freedom 250 task force, featured one male and one female teenager from each state.
Cornish said CNN examined athletes featured on the Freedom 250 Instagram page and found that many attended private Christian schools.
“A CNN analysis actually found that a specific demographic of kids got a shot to compete,” Cornish said. “Of the ones who were featured in the Freedom 250 Instagram page, many attend private Christian schools. They also appear to be overwhelmingly white, and the application for the games didn’t specify race.”
Cornish did not explain how CNN determined or analyzed the racial characteristics of the athletes.
The program then aired several social media reactions criticizing the event and questioning the makeup of the competitors.
“These are supposedly the best athletes from every state in the country, and they all happen to be white? I don’t know about that,” one white female TikTok user said.
Another white male TikTok user blasted the event by describing Trump as hosting “The Dystopian Hunger Games.”
Trump attended the conclusion of the inaugural Patriot Games on Tuesday, appearing alongside ESPN star Pat McAfee.
The president presented trophies and $125,000 scholarships to the competition’s two winners, Kennadi Fuhrman of Kansas and Rockwell Myers of Utah.
The event was open to student-athletes between the ages of 14 and 17.
The Akron Beacon Journal reported that the crowd repeatedly chanted “USA” during the event, while some attendees shouted their support for Trump.
“The crowd chanted ‘USA,’ while individuals yelled ‘I love you, Mr. President’ and ‘2028!’ throughout the night,” the newspaper reported.
Trump frequently smiled during the festivities and, in some instances, could visibly be seen saying thank you, according to the report.
Trump and other notable attendees were seated in front of approximately 112 teenage athletes who had medals around their necks.
CNN’s Wednesday segment, however, focused heavily on the demographic makeup of the young competitors highlighted online, raising questions about their racial and religious backgrounds even as Cornish acknowledged that the Patriot Games application itself did not specify race.
The network’s segment also did not provide details explaining the methodology CNN used to determine that the athletes featured on the Freedom 250 Instagram page appeared to be “overwhelmingly white.”
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