More than 300 demonstrators — among them a credible Gritty impersonator — gathered outside the Wells Fargo Center and along Pattison Avenue on a windy Saturday evening to protest President Trump’s appearance at the NCAA wrestling championships. But any physical confrontations evidently were confined to the arena mats.
Carrying signs reading “Save our democracy” and “No kings, no fascists,” the protesters lined Pattison Avenue, while Trump supporters arriving for the event implored them to “get a job” or “get educated.”
No incidents or arrests were reported. In fact, the demonstrators didn’t wait for the president’s motorcade to arrive at the center, dispersing about a half hour after Trump’s plane arrived at Philadelphia International Airport around 6:40 p.m.
Trump, wearing a characteristic red tie and a heavy overcoat against the chilly gusts, disembarked with Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
When Trump’s arrival at the Wells Fargo Center was announced at 7:20 p.m., the crowd erupted mostly in cheers, with a few random boos emitted from the crowd of nearly 19,000.
McCormick, a former West Point wrestler, said in a social media post he had invited Trump to the event.
Presidents historically have attended major sporting events. And while 13 presidents — including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, and William Howard Taft — had been wrestlers of some stripe, according to the Wrestling Hall of Fame, Trump is believed to be the first president to attend the NCAA wrestling championship.
In 2023, then-presidential candidate Trump attended the NCAA wrestling finals in Tulsa, Okla., on the final day of competition. On Saturday, Trump was greeted on the tarmac by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.). Trump has long been a wrestling enthusiast. His former Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City was the official partner/sponsor of WrestleManias IV and V in 1988 and 1989.
The president’s visit comes weeks after the association banned transgender women from participating in female sports, a major goal of Trump’s administration. In response to the University of Pennsylvania’s having allowed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on its women’s team in 2022, the federal government has frozen $175 million in funds to Penn.
Among the protesters Saturday was Louis Bergelson, sporting a Gritty costume. Bergelson said that he had never been an activist but that Trump’s plan to dissolve the Department of Education and his handling of immigration had motivated him.
“I chose Gritty because he is the spirit of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia is gonna kick [Trump] out,” Bergelson said, promising a “battle of the two orange monsters.”
“We’re here to let him and his supporters know that we do not like what he’s doing.”
The visit marked Trump’s first trip to Philadelphia since the presidential debate on Sept. 10.
The last time the NCAA wrestling championships were held in Philadelphia was 2011. More than 100,000 fans flocked to the Wells Fargo Center for the three-day event, which ended with Penn State’s first national championship.
And nearly 110,000 showed up for this year’s three-day event.
The Nittany Lions were heavily favored in this year’s tournament after winning the team title, scoring five individual champion titles, and qualifying all 10 of their wrestlers for the NCAA Championships at the Big Ten championships earlier this month, breaking their all-time scoring record.
Trump has been a frequent visitor to sporting events. He is a regular at UFC fights and attended both the Daytona 500 in Florida and the Super Bowl in New Orleans in February. He plans to welcome the Eagles to the White House on April 28 after having watched their blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Karl Goring, 62, of Stockton, N.J., said the president’s appearance was a bit of a pain. “I’m not digging that Trump’s coming,” he said as he and Henry Itri relaxed in their car after taking in Saturday morning’s consolation round. He said they had paid for premium parking Thursday and Friday, but on Saturday were forced to park farther away because of the extra security measures.
Itri, 61, of Harleysville, said he is a Republican but never voted for Trump.
”I’m not gonna boo the president, but it was very selfish for him to come here,” Goring said. “You can be a conservative and still hate Trump.”
Elsewhere in the parking lot, Penn State fan Joel Kasak of Doylestown and his family were grilling and celebrating the team’s success. Kasak’s son, Penn State 157-pounder Tyler Kasak, had won his third-place match an hour earlier. Kasak said that “politics aside,” Trump’s visit was a huge win for the niche sport of wrestling.
”I think it’s great that he’s coming here and it’s great that he’s supporting wrestling,” he said.
Wearing a dark blue Penn State jacket, attendee Ryan Gibbs, who drove eight hours from upstate New York for the event, said he was put off by the protesters. ”I think this is a waste of time and energy,” he said, adding he voted for Trump even though he didn’t consider himself a supporter. Referring to the protest, he said: “We need less of what’s going on … and more people just coming together.”
Inquirer staff writers Julia Terruso and Rob Tornoe contributed to this article.
