Joey “Jaws” Chestnut took back his title at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition on Friday, dominating the event after being booted from last year’s competition over a contract dispute with a fake meat company.

“Oh my gosh, I was nervous,” Chestnut told ESPN after reclaiming his crown. “[The] first couple of hot dogs, I was fumbling a little bit, but I found a pretty good rhythm. My goal was 70 to 77 – I really wanted a little bit more. There’s next year and I’m just happy I am here.”

JOEY CHESTNUT'S DOMINANCE CONTINUES 🐐

Chestnut downs 70.5 hot dogs to win his 17th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest title 🏆 🌭 pic.twitter.com/B3TMBrayZ7

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2025

Chestnut stuffed himself with 70 ½ hot dogs in 10 minutes, marking the 41-year-old Indiana resident’s 17th “Mustard Belt” win in 20 tries – the most any competitor has won. Still, he fell short of his record of 76 hot dogs and buns from four years ago. He won his first Nathan’s competition in 2007, and an American has won the contest every year since.

He beat 14 other chowhounds from all over the world, including Brazil, Australia, and Europe. Friday’s second-place finisher, Patrick Bertoletti, ate 24 fewer frankfurters than Chestnut. Bertoletti won last year’s competition during Chestnut’s absence, downing 58 wieners and buns. The event has been held annually at Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on July 4 since 1972.

JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free

Although Chestnut did not compete in Nathan’s 2024 competition, he still holds 55 world records for various eating competitions. According to Major League Eating, the moderating body behind the hot dog eating contest, Chestnut also holds records for eating 121 Twinkies in six minutes, 390 shrimp wontons in eight minutes, and, of course, his hot dog record from 2021.

Major League Eating banned Chestnut from the Nathan’s Famous competition last year after he signed a deal with Impossible Foods, a Nathan’s competitor. In a statement last year on X, the group said, “We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.”

During his hiatus from Nathan’s Famous 2024 competition, Chestnut set the record for the most Buffalo Wild Wings eaten in one sitting, consuming 14.4 pounds of wings. He also consumed 83 all-beef hot dogs and buns at a Labor Day event in Las Vegas, according to CNN.

Chestnut took home $10,000 for his win on Friday, with the runner-up receiving $5,000, and $2500 for third place.

Sam Korkus contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would begin charging foreign tourists more to enter America’s national parks than U.S. residents.

The announcement at a rally in Iowa came as he signed two executive orders dealing with national parks, including one that directs Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to “appropriately” raise prices of entrance fees and recreation passes for non-residents. 

“To fund improvements and enhanced experiences across the park systems,” Trump said. “I’ve just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans. And we’re going to do that. The National Parks will be about America First, we’re gonna take it America First.” 

.@POTUS announces that entrance fees for foreign tourists at National Parks will be raised in order to fund park improvements and enhanced experiences: “The National Parks will be about AMERICA FIRST” pic.twitter.com/fIUB7ET0tC

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2025

The executive order states that the additional funds raised will be used to enhance park infrastructure and make the parks more accessible and affordable for Americans. 

“From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.”

JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free

The order also directs Burgum to establish rules granting American residents preferential treatment for permitting or in situations where a lottery system restricts entry to certain areas. 

In recent years, there has been an increase in tourism at national parks, with a record 331.9 million visitors in 2024. In response, more and more parks, such as Arches in Utah and Rocky Mountain in Colorado, have begun implementing timed-entry programs. 

The order also rescinded an Obama-era executive order that called for the National Park Service to promote diversity and inclusion, including in the workforce. 

The other executive order signed by Trump on Thursday created the “Make America Beautiful Commission,” composed of Burgum, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and other cabinet officials. 

The commission was tasked with advising the president on how to “responsibly conserve America’s national treasures and natural resources” and “developing policies to recover fish and wildlife populations through collaboration rather than regulation.”

The commission was instructed “to expand access to public lands, national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges while promoting a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities like hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, boating, off-roading, and wildlife viewing.”