5 Similarities Between President Trump and President Snow: "May The Odds Be Ever In Our Favor..."

“I wonder if Trump had a Lucy Gray.”

Recently, I found this sentence plastered on a black-and-white picture of the United States president himself. I gasped at my late-night Pinterest feed, immediately got up from my bed, and showed the screen to my Dad. He was the one who introduced me to the world of The Hunger Games in the sixth grade, and we’ve bonded over the books ever since. Together, we munched on popcorn at the Ballad Of Songbird and Snakes in movie theatres, and together, we waited in line at Barnes and Nobles until the release of Sunrise on The Reaping. So I wasn’t surprised, when my Hunger Games Savvy Father gave the pin a quick scan, and followed it with an immediate nod. For me, seeing President’s snow’s origins being connected to the current U.S. President’s felt… accurate. And because of that, jarring. It made me laugh, in that strange, fear-filled way. Because what does it mean when President Snow, authoritarian leader of Panem, power-hungry poison user, primary antagonist of The Hunger Games series, can so casually be compared with our current president? 

I’ll answer that: Nothing good. 

That depressing fact aside, the pin triggered my curiosity, and I found myself searching for other parallels that might exist between the two presidents. Here are a few.

They both have pasts hidden from the public.

In The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, we gain greater insight into President Snow’s beginnings, which include mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray in the 10th Hunger Games. In a sly move that guaranteed his Tribute’s success, Snow slipped a handkerchief with the scent of his tribute into a pit of genetically-altered snakes, so that when they were dumped into the arena, they wouldn’t harm Lucy Gray. This strategy worked, but Dr. Gaul, the head gamemaker, discovered that Snow had cheated. Snow was then pushed to become a peacekeeper and sent to District 12, where he got himself into further trouble, eventually finding himself responsible for the death of one of his closest friends. Later, as The Hunger Games Wiki says, Dr. Gaul “erased all recordings of the Games, keeping only a master copy in her own personal vault for her own purposes.” The 10th Hunger Games were erased, and it seems, Snow’s problematic past was eliminated along with it. His past and involvement in these games are nothing but blurs for the people of Panem. For the people of the United States, a similarly blotted past could be Donald Trump’s relationship to Jeffery Epstein. According to TIME Magazine, “Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office in 2019, Trump said: “I had a falling out with (Epstein.) I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.” However, in the same article, TIME mentions that before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges, Trump had Epstein over at his Mar-a-lago estate. “The two men could be seen laughing as they engaged in conversation.” The magazine also cites a 2002 interview, where Trump describes Epstein, and said that Epstein was “a lot of fun to be with,” and that, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Earlier this month, Trump’s past with Epstein was brought back into light, due to a tweet from billionaire Elon Musk. It reads:

Time to drop the really big bomb:

@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein Files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.

Have a nice day, DJT! 

Trump’s clear denial of having been a fan of Epstien’s, after footage of them being friendly and his previously recorded comments on the man, seems contradictory. After the tweet was made public, a letter was sent to the U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel asking whether or not the allegations were true. The letter reads, “Any attempts to prevent the appropriate release of the Epstein files to shield the President from truth and accountability merits intense scrutiny by Congress and the Department of Justice.” In any case, It seems both Presidents have pasts they’d rather keep buried. 

Both have made threats to Free Speech.

In The Hunger Games series latest installment, Sunrise On The Reaping, a young Haymitch Abernathy sends a message to President Snow during the chariot rides. He takes the body of his fallen friend, Louella Mccoy, and presents it to the steps of the President’s mansion, at Snow’s feet, then claps, “giving credit where credit is due.” After this incident, “Snow made it clear that Haymitch's behavior had guaranteed his death, but it would allow Lenore Dove and Haymitch's family to live long lives. Snow intended to orchestrate the manner of Haymitch's death based on his behavior going forward: he could die clean and fair, or they could open the Games with the slowest most agonizing death ever to befall a tribute.” Snow tells Haymitch that if he rebels against The Hunger Games, he will be met with violence. Similarly, when Trump’s military parade was met with opposition and the possibility of protest, the president announced to the people, “If there's any protesters that want to come out, they’re going to be met with very big force.” Additionally, Trump has pushed back against students leading Pro-Palestine protests. PBS reports that “Trump has threatened to go after any college that supports protests he deems “illegal.” Both Presidents seem to want to silence people who put out messages finding faults in the way they run things. The difference? In one country, this suppression is expected. In the other, it’s unconstitutional.

They seem to be fans of longer terms. 

Earlier this year, The trump organization, run in part by two of the president’s children, began selling “Trump 2028” hats “seeming to promote the president as a candidate in the election in 2028.” Of course, a third term in office would be unconstitutional, but there are whole articles full of remarks the president has made, playful or not, of potentially running “a third time, or a fourth.” A third term would total in a whole 12 years in Office. A fourth, 16 years. President Snow served over 25 years as Panem’s president, unchallenged. Though 12 and 25 are two very different numbers, I find it slightly unsettling that the Trump shrugs and smiles at the notion, cracking a joke about a system has kept America without a king.

They have their fair share of rocky relationships

Back to Trump and Musk drama. According to Abc news, during the 2024 presidential election, “Musk spent US$288 million supporting Trump’s election and appeared at campaign events around the country.” Since then, the two have worked together closely. Until recently, when, as ABC news put it, “A war of words between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump erupted into a full meltdown… with Musk slamming Trump for “ingratitude” over the 2024 election, agreeing with a call for his impeachment, knocking the president’s signature legislation and even claiming Trump was in the Epstein files (As was mentioned earlier.)” Trump isn’t the only one with these rollercoaster-like relationships with people. President Snow has made several enemies throughout the years, but one notable conflict was between him and his head gamemaker, Seneca Crane. According to the Hunger Games wiki, the Head Gamemakers are usually appointed by the President. This would mean Snow and Crane likely had some sort of amicable relationship, or amicable enough that Snow would bestow such an important position to him, especially considering that Seneca oversaw three whole hunger games. However, this would change after the 74th Hunger Games, when Snow ordered Seneca Crane be put to death. A once amicable relationship poisoned, both figuratively and literally. Only, Snow employed nightlock, and Trump seems to like twitter. (Tell me which is more toxic?) 

An appreciation for parades.

Trump recently celebrated the US military’s 250th birthday with a giant military parade that cost “between $25 million and $45 million.” Trump, following the parade, called The United States’s military “the greatest, fiercest and bravest fighting force ever to stride the face of the earth,” adding, “You make us strong, and tonight, you have made all Americans very proud.” The festivities of The Hunger Games include the chariot rides, where tributes are presented to the public and to their sponsors for the first time. During this parade, they circle all the way to the President’s mansion, where Snow can greet them and the rest of Panem’s citizens. Though the tribute parade itself might not be a display of Panem’s strength, the Hunger Games itself serves as a reminder of how the Capital prevailed over the districts during the dark days, and helps the Capital in controlling any hope the districts might have at rebelling. The tribute parade is a part of that. A visual display of that control, honoring the president. (Could you tell which parade I was talking about then? Me neither.) 

It’s important to note that this is the role of many sci-fi novels. To warn us. Or to show us what already exists, in a way that highlights its flaws and injustices. To encourage us to take action when our situations become too similar, or when they already have. As Mary Shelley put it, “Ultimately, the real role of science fiction is to hold a distorted mirror up to contemporary life, exposing what is familiar to the critical eye.”

Reader, I hope you smell the smoke before the fire catches. And if it already has, I hope you lend a hand as we try to put it out. 

Sources:

“Coriolanus Snow.” The Hunger Games Wiki, thehungergames.fandom.com/wiki/Coriolanus_Snow.

“Seneca Crane.” The Hunger Games Wiki, thehungergames.fandom.com/wiki/Seneca_Crane.

‌Hutzler, Alexandra, et al. “Trump Musk Feud Explodes with Claim President Is in Epstein Files.” ABC News, 5 June 2025, abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-disappointed-elon-musk-musk-strikes-back-real/story?id=122543215.

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Baker, Graeme. “Can Trump Serve a Third Term as US President?” BBC, 31 Mar. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx20lwedn23o.

‌Hubbard, Kaia. “What Trump Has Said about Pursuing a Third Term.” Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/what-trump-has-said-about-pursuing-a-third-term/.

‌“Chariot Rides.” The Hunger Games Wiki, thehungergames.fandom.com/wiki/Chariot_Rides.

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Watson, Kathryn. “Trump Military Parade Marks Army’s 250th Birthday in Washington, D.C.” Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 14 June 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-military-parade-army-anniversary-festival-washington-dc/.

‌Karni, Annie, and Maggie Haberman. “Jeffrey Epstein Was a “Terrific Guy,” Donald Trump Once Said. Now He’s “Not a Fan.”” The New York Times, 9 July 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-epstein.html.

‌“Is Trump Suppressing the Epstein Files? Task Force Ranking Member Garcia and Acting Ranking Member Lynch Demand the Truth for the American People.” The Committee on Oversight and Accountability Democrats, 6 June 2025, oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/trump-suppressing-epstein-files-task-force-ranking-member-garcia-and-acting. Accessed 10 July 2025.

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News, PBS. “Trump Campaigned as a Protector of Free Speech but Critics Say His Actions Threaten It.” PBS News, 12 Mar. 2025, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-campaigned-as-a-protector-of-free-speech-but-critics-say-his-actions-threaten-it.

‌Dec, Stacey. “Trump Warns “Any” Protesters at Military Parade Will Be “Met with Heavy Force.”” ABC News, 10 June 2025, abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-warns-protesters-military-parade-met-heavy-force/story?id=122692921.