Former MLB star Noah Syndergaard praised President Donald Trump, calling him a “patriotic guy” who is a “joy” to be around, and questioned critics of the commander-in-chief.
The ex-New York Mets star formally met the president at the White House on Tuesday as part of a celebration of the Presidential Fitness Test.
“It’s a dream come true, I’m riding this bliss in this moment,” Syndergaard told Fox News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle.
He said he does not understand the pessimism hurled Trump’s way by the establishment media, establishment Republicans, and of course, leftists.
“I really just don’t quite understand the negativity or the pessimism he gets from the media and some of the population of this nation because he’s just such a patriotic guy, and he cares so much [about] everybody and the health of this nation and the health of this world,” he said, also highlighting the sheer mental energy levels beaming from Trump, who is now 79.
“I’m envious of the mental energy that this guy has, the sharpness he has, the comedic nature of everything he says,” Syndergaard said. “He’s just a joy to be around.”
His appearance at the White House came during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. In the spirit of the month, Trump brought back the Presidential Fitness Test for schoolchildren.
“My Administration is committed to strengthening the next generation of Americans and promoting sports participation, which is why I was proud to sign an Executive Order revitalizing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition and reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test,” the presidential proclamation reads.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Council, and under my leadership, we are once again making fitness and nutrition national priorities,” it continues:
Working alongside world-class professional athletes, major league organizations, teams, schools and communities across our country, we are ushering in a new Golden Age of physical fitness — expanding access to wellness for every American, promoting the many benefits of exercise and good nutrition, supporting youth sports, and celebrating a culture of strength, vitality, and excellence.
Syndergaard said this “hits home,” because he remembers doing such tests as a child.
“And from a kid that, if you would have told me, I’d be sitting here talking to you, talking about the Presidential Fitness Council when I was, I don’t know, 10 years old, I would have called you, you’re crazy,” Syndergaard said, emphasizing the importance of being healthy and active. “And as a kid, I kind of, I grew up as a, what we’d call a late bloomer or a husky kid.”
He added, “I mean just the interaction I had with all the kids today, getting able to throw a couple of ground balls, do some pull-ups, just get out in the sunshine on the White House lawn was just an amazing experience.”