President Donald Trump received a warm welcome from the crowd in deep blue Philadelphia Saturday night when he made a surprise appearance at the final rounds of the 2024-25 NCAA wrestling championships.

The president entered the Wells Fargo Center by a sold out crowd of wrestling fans, many of whom could be heard chanting “USA, USA!” A small number of fans booed, though the overall reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

Trump shook hands with supporters and a few notable guests, including Penn State wrestling phenom and rising UFC superstar Bo Nickel, who enthusiastically supported Trump’s White House bid. He also chatted with several wrestlers after their title-winning matches.

A number of leading Trump allies and cabinet officials attended the event as well, including Elon Musk, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Education Secretary and former WWE executive Linda McMahon, House Judiciary Committee Chairman, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and several others.

“We’re going to the big fight. … They have the NCAA, world, wrestling for college. And I’ve always supported the wrestlers,” Trump told reporters outside the White House Friday. “So, I want to support them. These are the great college wrestlers from the various schools. I think Penn State is leading, and Nebraska is in second place right now. And a lot of good things.”

The event follows a continuation of the president’s campaign trail strategy of attending high-profile sporting events, as Trump has recently received warm welcomes at the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500.

In December, Trump attended the 125th edition of the Army-Navy game with Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) , Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The move continued his tradition of attending the game every year, as he did so throughout his first term in the White House.

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