President Donald Trump’s participation in the NCAA Wrestling Championships got strong reactions from competitors.
Before Trump entered Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia for a fierce cheer from fans, some Penn State Wrestlers shared their thoughts of Trump arriving to see their attempt at a fourth equal national championship.
“It’s a great honor for the wrestling sport,” Penn State’s Josh Barr journalists said Friday. “Wrestling’s sport is in a place where it needs growth. It needs life and energy behind it, and President Trump brings it.
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Barr’s teammate, Mitchell Mesenbrink, told journalists on Friday that, regardless of politics, he believes Trump’s participation would help improve viewing.
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President Donald Trump participates in the NCAA men’s wrestling championships in Philadelphia March 22, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
“We want to get people to see, right? We want people to see wrestling. We want people to funnel, not just money, but people’s time and attention is money. So I think it’s cool. And I think if it was conservative or liberal, it would be really cool,” said mess.
“Democrat or Republican, whatever it is, is the president of the United States. The leader of the free world at our wrestling event is really cool when you think about it that way.”
Trump praised Penn State and all wrestlers outside the White House on Friday when he was talking about joining the championship.
“We’re going to the big fight. The reason I go to Philadelphia. They have ncaa, world, wrestling for college. And I’ve always supported Wrestlers,” Trump said. “So I want to support them. These are the big college -Wrestlers from the different schools. I think the Penn State is a leader and Nebraska is in second right now. And a lot of good things.”
The Wrestling championships are back in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center for the first time since 2011, when Penn State won it all. This started a dominant race of the Nittany Lions that continues. They have won 11 of the last 13 titles, including the last three.
With a win on Saturday, it would be their third four-peat during this stretch.
