Trump made his way into Wells Fargo Center not long after 7pm ET, cutting off an interview with a wrestler that was being broadcast on ESPN.
The Republican was given a standing ovation as he emerged from the bowels of the arena, waving to his fans and pumping his fists. There was a smattering of boos but they were largely drowned out by chants of ‘USA’.
After shaking hands with some of his loyal fans, Trump took his seat in a VIP section by the mat and sat next to Senator Dave McCormick and his wife Dina Powell.
Trump’s entourage also included Elon Musk, Congressman Jim Jordan, who is a two-time NCAA national champion wrestler, chief of staff Susie Wiles and Outkick founder Clay Travis.
Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci made a beeline for Trump on Saturday night just moments after becoming the first-ever five-time national champion.
Footage posted by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shows Starocci shaking hands with Trump and handing over his trophy to the president before they posed for photos together.
It was a moment that sent fans wild on social media, with one commenting: ‘So cool! Love seeing all these historic moments.’
‘Love this video! The people’s President’, another added.
A third fan posted: ‘That could be a life-changing moment for that young man. Winning the championship will be important, I’m sure; but to have actually shook hands with, and got to put your arm around the legend?’
Another wrote: ‘Once again President Trump proves he’s a man of the people.’
Hours earlier, Trump was pictured landing at Philadelphia International Airport on Air Force One. He was greeted by Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin and his wife Christie.
The A-list entourage was in Philadelphia to watch Penn State try and secure its fourth straight men’s team title.
It is the latest example of how Trump as mostly limited travel early in his new term to trips built around sports events.
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.
‘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 told reporters as he left the White House on Friday evening.
‘I want to support them. These are the great college wrestlers from the various schools.’
In the two-plus months since returning to the White House, Trump attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the Daytona 500 in Florida, where his motorcade drove a portion of the track. While president-elect he went to a UFC fight in New York.
That’s more travel for sports than for policy announcements or official duties, though a long January swing took Trump to tour damage from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and wildfires in Los Angeles.
He then gave a speech and visited the floor of Las Vegas’ Circa Resort & Casino before heading to Doral, Florida, to address 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 ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’a sports – an action which he points to frequently to fire up his core supporters.
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 when he went to the 2023 NCAA wrestling championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.