While he enjoys a loyal base of voters, some combination of his personality and policies has evoked outright hatred from many political opponents.

But many Americans, including former New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, find such negativity incomprehensible.

In a recent interview following his White House meeting with President Trump, Syndergaard expressed his thoughts on the matter.

“It’s a dream come true, I’m riding this bliss in this moment,” he said. “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.”

Syndergaard added that he was “envious” of Trump’s mental energy at age 79. “I’m envious of the mental energy that this guy has, the sharpness he has, the comedic nature of everything he says. He’s just a joy to be around,” he said.

Syndergaard was among President Trump’s athlete guests at the White House Tuesday for an event celebrating the president’s plan to bring annual fitness tests back to schools.

The administration’s new fitness standards have sparked discussion on social media this week.

Trump first signed an executive order last year to reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and the Presidential Fitness Test. A recent memorandum paved the way for restoring the test and awards at all American schools.

The revitalized award emphasizes measurable athletic performance standards similar to earlier versions of the test, which ranked students based on physical achievement.

The original Presidential Physical Fitness Test was phased out during former President Barack Obama’s second term and replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, part of the “Let’s Move” initiative. Critics at the time argued that the test focused too much on performance and competition, discouraging less athletic students.

The President’s Council on Youth Fitness was first established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower after studies showed American children were less physically fit than European peers. Schools began administering a fitness test under President John F. Kennedy, launching the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.