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US President Donald Trump attended the final rounds of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday, March 22. He was among the first to congratulate the title winners, including Penn State's Carter Starocci, who won a record fifth national title.
It's the second time in two years that Trump has attended the NCAA Wrestling Championships after 2023 when Starocci won his third title. On Saturday night, the President was greeted by a raucous crowd inside the Wells Fargo Center when he walked in with Elon Musk and his other allies.
The arena was lit up by a shocking upset in the last matchup as Oklahoma State's Wyatt Hendrickson beat Gable Steveson for the heavyweight title. Trump congratulated Hendrickson for what many termed the biggest upset in NCAA history after the former Air Force wrestler saluted him on the mat.
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The President also congratulated Starocci on his record fifth national title and held the trophy after shaking hands with the Penn State wrestler.
He also shared moments with 141-lb champion Jesse Mendez and Peyton Hall, who concluded his collegiate career with a bronze.
Fans loved the moments between Trump and the national champions and expressed gratitude to the President for attending the event.
"So incredible Donald Trump is supporting wrestling like this. Is he the only president ever to go to a NCAA wrestling championship? (Now twice)? My guess is yes, wrestling rarely gets shine. Thank you for the support Trump," one fan commented.
"That’s the American dream right there—champion on the mat, proud to wear the red, white, and blue, and shaking hands with a President who loves this country," commented another fan.
Trump's love for sports is well known, and he has attended several events since assuming the office earlier this year, including the Daytona 500 in February.
Gable Steveson had promised to put on a show for President Donald Trump
Speaking at a press conference before the start of the NCAA Championships, Gable Steveson had promised to put on the best wrestling contest in front of President Donald Trump. He was successful for the most part but ended up on the losing side.
“I feel that President Donald Trump being here is a great thing,” Steveson said. “Regardless of who the President is, I think it’s a great fact that he comes to support wrestling, and whoever it is and wherever it may be, we’re going to put on a good show for him. So him showing up Saturday night, he’s coming to watch some of the best wrestling on earth, and we’re going to give that to him.”
Steveson was on a 70-match win streak, an overwhelming favorite to win his third national title. He dominated the matchup against Wyatt Hendrickson for the most part before falling to a takedown attempt in the final half-minute, eventually losing 3-4.
Steverson, nevertheless, finishes as one of the greatest heavyweight wrestlers in history. He bows out with a 102-2 collegiate record, two NCAA titles, and four Big Ten Championships, the most by a heavyweight in history.
