DAVID MARCUS: Trump makes triumphant return to Philly, where he pinned the Democrats

PHILADELPHIA – It is simply a disagreement that is, if not arsenic aged arsenic time, astatine slightest arsenic aged arsenic the mean American’s acquisition successful precocious school: The wrestlers vs. the hoops players. And arsenic President Donald Trump returns to Pennsylvania, keystone of his plaything authorities sweep, it's nary astonishment it is happening astatine the NCAA wrestling championship.

Like Eagles caput manager Nick Siriani, Trump looked finished conscionable a fewer years ago. But conscionable arsenic the Birds yet held aloft the Lombardi Trophy, Trump returns to Philly successful triumph.

SCOOP: Rep. JIM JORDAN TO JOIN TRUMP AT NCAA MEN'S WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The hotels and restaurants of Center City were afloat of wrestling families this week, and astatine the elite Division I level, the wrestlers, coaches, and adjacent the dads, successful astir cases, looked similar squat, solid, muscular types who you could interruption a cinder artifact on.

I joked with 1 of the coaches that successful precocious schoolhouse successful Philly I played hoops and we each stayed distant from the wrestlers, because, "once they get you connected the ground, hide astir it." He assured me, "Yeah, it's inactive similar that."

The Penn State Nittany Lions airs with the trophy aft winning the NCAA Wrestling Title astatine the T-Mobile Center.  (Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports)

Saturday’s quality astatine the finals of the grappling tourney is highly astute authorities from the White House. As with each of Trump's regular appearances astatine combat sports events, Trump was guaranteed a yuge ovation, but this clip successful 1 of the bluest cities successful America.

Now, a cynic mightiness constituent retired that astir successful attendance astatine the lawsuit are not from Philly, and that’s true. But connected the different hand, Penn State bluish and achromatic was everyplace successful municipality this week, arsenic that assemblage is the implicit powerhouse of the sport.

Columnist Salena Zito, who has forgotten much astir non-Philly Pennsylvania than astir radical volition ever know, enactment it this mode successful describing the accustomed country astatine Bloomsburg High School, wherever present Sen. Dave McCormick was a prima connected the mat:

"Wrestling present is everything, and each you person to bash is conscionable effort to spell to a wrestling lucifer present and effort to find a spot to stand, fto unsocial to sit," she said.

UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 13: Sen.-elect Dave McCormick, R-Pa., is seen successful the U.S. Capitol earlier the Republican enactment predetermination connected Wednesday, November 13, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It’s true, Philly is known for the Big 5 hoops colleges, for Wilt Chamberlain and Temple’s match-up zone. But successful the remainder of the state, it is wrestling and shot that are kings.

I was much cautious than accustomed astir bringing up politics. After each these families had spent thousands of dollars to travel to Philly to speech astir wrestling, not to look connected the "McLaughlin Group." But erstwhile I did inquire if they were excited the president was coming, everyone enthusiastically said yes.

"It’s truly an grant for the boys," 1 Iowa wrestling ma told me. There was nary request to inquire wherever anyone was from, it was emblazoned each implicit their clothing.

What I learned astir wrestling astatine its highest level successful those chats benignant of explained wherefore Trump is fashionable among the sport’s athletes and enthusiasts.

These wrestlers are arguably the champion and hardest-working athletes successful America. The past Greeks surely would person thought so. Yet determination is nary nonrecreational draught time erstwhile they are plied with millions of dollars.

These guys are successful the gym 15 times a time due to the fact that they emotion it, adjacent if they aren’t allowed to deterioration garbage bags to marque value anymore. And that is precisely the benignant of hard enactment and dedication that galore Trump voters spot successful the president.

Back successful October, I wrote successful these pages that Philadelphia was Kamala Harris’ Alamo, the 1 spot wherever she could marque a basal successful a authorities she was intelligibly losing, adjacent if the polling couldn’t rather spot it.

Right now, it is hard to spot however the hatred, and let’s beryllium honest, it is mostly from the left, tin beryllium tamped down to let Americans who emotion oregon hatred Trump to bent retired successful bid and harmony.

She won the City of Brotherly Love because, arsenic Nancy Pelosi erstwhile enactment it, a solid of h2o with a D aft its sanction would triumph successful Philly. But Harris didn't triumph by astir capable to marque up for the dense losses successful the remainder of the commonwealth.

Just arsenic during the election, determination is simply a beardown disagreement betwixt Trump-hating Philly and the remainder of the authorities wherever helium has beardown support, and if anything, that disagreement is increasing sharper and much pointed.

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Until recently, the disagreement successful America had separated those who thought Trump was effective, if a spot implicit the top, and those who disquieted he’d beryllium an authoritarian. 

Today, it is betwixt radical who deliberation Trump is simply a large president, afloat stop, and those who genuinely judge helium has already go a dictator. That is simply a far, far, greater gulf, and it explains the choler and unit we person progressively seen.

Every erstwhile successful a portion successful precocious school, determination would beryllium a party, oregon an event, and the wrestlers were determination on with the ballets, and nether the close circumstances, we could tolerate, oregon adjacent bask each other’s company.

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Right now, it is hard to spot however the hatred, and let’s beryllium honest, it is mostly from the left, tin beryllium tamped down to let Americans who emotion oregon hatred Trump to bent retired successful bid and harmony.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. After all, this aged hoops feline had a large clip with the wrestling crowd. Even if I was present and then, furtively checking March Madness brackets connected my phone.

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