Penn State wrestlers speak out on Trump's attendance at NCAA championships

President Donald Trump's attendance astatine the NCAA wrestling championships prompted beardown reactions from competitors. 

Before Trump entered Wells Fargo Arena successful Philadelphia to a raucous cheer from fans, immoderate Penn State wrestlers shared their thoughts connected Trump arriving to ticker their attempts astatine a 4th consecutive nationalist championship.

"It's a large grant for the athletics of wrestling," Penn State's Josh Barr told reporters Friday. "The athletics of wrestling is successful a spot wherever it needs growth. It needs beingness and vigor down it, and President Trump brings it. 

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Barr's teammate, Mitchell Mesenbrink, told reporters Friday that, careless of politics, helium believes Trump's attendance would assistance amended viewership. 

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President Donald Trump attends the NCAA men's wrestling championships successful Philadelphia March 22, 2025.  (Reuters/Nathan Howard)

"We privation to get radical to watch, right? We privation radical to ticker wrestling. We privation radical to funnel, not conscionable money, but people's time, and attraction is money. So, I deliberation that's cool. And I deliberation if it was blimpish oregon liberal, it would beryllium truly really cool," Messenbrink said. 

"Democrat oregon Republican, whoever it is, it's the president of the United States. The person of the escaped satellite astatine our wrestling lawsuit is truly chill erstwhile you deliberation astir it that way." 

Trump praised Penn State and each wrestlers extracurricular the White House Friday erstwhile helium spoke astir attending the championships.

"We're going to the large fight. The crushed I'm going is successful Philadelphia. They person the NCAA, world, wrestling for college. And I've ever supported the wrestlers," Trump said. "So, I privation to enactment them. These are the large assemblage wrestlers from the assorted schools. I deliberation Penn State is leading, and Nebraska is successful 2nd spot close now. And a batch of bully things."

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The wrestling championships are backmost astatine Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center for the archetypal clip since 2011, erstwhile Penn State won it all. That kick-started a ascendant tally by the Nittany Lions that continues. They've won 11 of the past 13 titles, including the past three.

With a triumph connected Saturday, it would beryllium their 3rd four-peat during that stretch.

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