BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) 鈥� President attended the on Saturday night for the second time in three years, the latest example of how he has mostly limited travel early in his new term to trips built around sports events.
Trump arrived at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to loud cheers and a standing ovation. He pumped his fists amid chants of 鈥淯-S-A!鈥� As the matches occurred, Trump stood near the action and personally congratulated most of the winning wrestlers. Hours later, he left the arena, shaking hands along the way as the crowd roared.
The Republican president spent Friday night at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, about 70 miles northeast of Philadelphia, on what was his first visit there of his second term.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to the big fight," Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday evening. 鈥淚鈥檝e always supported the wrestlers.鈥� He added, 鈥淭hese are the great college wrestlers from the various schools.鈥�
Trump traveled with billionaire and top adviser Elon Musk. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin greeted the president as he arrived at the Philadelphia airport. Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan were also at the arena sitting in the same section as Musk and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
In the two-plus months since returning to the White House, Trump and the in Florida, where his motorcade drove a portion of the track. While president-elect he went to a .
That鈥檚 more travel for sports than for policy announcements or official duties, though a long January swing took Trump to from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and wildfires in Los Angeles. He then gave a and visited the floor of Las Vegas鈥� Circa Resort & Casino before heading to Doral, Florida, a House Republican policy conference.
Trump has long built his public and political persona around sporting events, and relishes turning up at live events to hear cheers from the crowd, even if some in attendance boo him. He also has signed an executive order intended to 鈥� an action which he points to frequently to fire up his core supporters.
The president played football as a student at the New York Military Academy. As a New York businessman in the early 1980s, he of the United States Football League.
Trump had sued to force a merger of the USFL and the NFL. The USFL eventually folded.
During an interview on Air Force One with 鈥淥utkick the Show鈥� podcast host Clay Travis on Saturday night, Trump was asked about the NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles being set to visit the White House, after not doing so following their Super Bowl win in 2018.
That year, Trump said he was rescinding the team's invitation after some players indicated that they planned to boycott.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honor to come,鈥� Trump said.
The president said he also planned to host the Kansas City Chiefs after the Eagles, saying that the visit would make up for one that couldn鈥檛 happen when the Chiefs won the 2020 Super Bowl because of the .
That鈥檚 despite Trump鈥檚 predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, having after they won the title in 2023, a visit that was considered as also making up for the missed White House stop in 2020.
鈥淭hey missed their turn because of COVID,鈥� Trump said of the Chiefs.
The president has used most Saturdays and Sundays to play golf at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, though he also sometimes remained in Washington to give weekend speeches.
Trump was a candidate for reelection when .
During the in-flight interview, Trump was asked about his administration's release of , and he conceded that they didn't contain many startling new revelations.
鈥淚 think the papers have turned out to be somewhat unspectacular," Trump said. "And maybe that鈥檚 a good thing.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Mark Scolforo in Philadelphia and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.
Will Weissert, The Associated Press
