President Donald Trump is set to attend the NCAA wrestling championships for the second time in three years, continuing his trend of focusing his early-term travels on sporting events.
Trump is expected to be at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night as Penn State aims for its fourth consecutive men’s team title. On Friday evening, the Republican president spent time at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club, located about 70 miles northeast of Philadelphia. This was his first visit there during his second term.
“We’re going to the big fight. The reason I’m going is in Philadelphia. They have the NCAA, world, wrestling for college. And I’ve always supported the wrestlers,” Trump said to reporters as he left the White House. “I want to support them. These are the great college wrestlers from the various schools.”
Since returning to the White House more than two months ago, President Trump has attended several high-profile sporting events, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the Daytona 500 in Florida, where his motorcade even drove a part of the track. During his time as president-elect, he also attended a UFC fight in New York.
Since returning to the White House, President Trump has traveled more for sports events than for policy announcements or official duties. He attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the Daytona 500 in Florida, where his motorcade even drove part of the track. In January, he did take a longer trip, touring areas affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and wildfires in Los Angeles, before giving a speech in Las Vegas and attending a House Republican conference in Doral, Florida.
Trump has built much of his public and political identity around sporting events, enjoying the energy of live crowds, even if some people boo him. He also signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, a move he often highlights to rally his supporters.
Most weekends, Trump plays golf at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, though he sometimes stays in Washington to deliver speeches. As a candidate, he also attended the 2023 NCAA wrestling championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.