President Donald Trump found himself at the center of another awkward public moment this week after attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City.
When Trump’s face flashed on the screens, audible boos echoed through sections of the crowd, turning what was supposed to be a high-profile appearance into an embarrassing spectacle.
The 79-year-old appeared eager to project the image of a popular president, but the reaction inside Madison Square Garden quickly challenged that narrative.
Led by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks entered Game 3 against the Spurs with a 2-0 series lead and a 13-game playoff winning streak. Critics feared Trump’s attendance would bring the run to an end.
As expected, Trump is catching significant heat in NYC over the defeat, even as the nearly 80-year-old senior citizen tries to ignore the obvious backlash.
The president was questioned the MSG audience receiving him at Monday night’s game while at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
“I thought it was very good. It was certainly amazing,” he told reporters. “I think mostly cheers. It was loud. And it was very enthusiastic.”
Trump’s rosy assessment stood in stark contrast to what actually happened.
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His return to his hometown on June 8 frustrated other NBA Finals attendees and NYC residents alike, causing headaches for the entire city.
Security protocol mandated that streets be closed, that there be hour-long waits to enter the building, and that popular watch parties in the area be shut down.
Knicks fans were not pleased with Trump disrupting the positive vibes in New York in anticipation of the franchise’s first NBA Finals game at home in 27 years.
A loud chorus of boos engulfed the Garden in reaction to the television cameras cutting to Trump’s face.
He gave a salute with his right hand while Grammy-nominated singer Avery Wilson sang the national anthem.
Even showing the beleaguered president as a cutaway during the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” song could not save him from 19,000 people vocalizing their disapproval and disdain to his face.
Around 2 a.m. ET, Trump clearly still had the booing on his mind and seemingly wanted to prove NYC loved him.
“The Art of the Deal” book author hopped on Truth Social to repost Fox News contributor Nicole Parker’s X post declaring that, “NYC loves @realDonaldTrump.”
Parker, 48, shared a 53-second clip from the conservative The Post Millennial account showing Trump’s motorcade driving through Manhattan to a mixed reaction from the crowd assembled along the streets.
Trump supporters screamed his name, but towards the end of the video other people at the location had more derogatory chants for the politician who lost the state of New York in three consecutive presidential races from 2016 to 2024.
“Go Knicks! F–k Trump!” yelled protesters, who were also seen carrying signs that read, “Trump Must Go Now!”
Clearly Trump was buying into the delusion that he is deeply beloved in New York City.
“He may be weakened. Weak and frail and sickly, but narcissism covers a lot of ground,” a Thread user wrote about the notoriously self-absorbed Trump.
Another person pointed out that the POTUS “fell asleep” during the highly competitive Knicks versus Spurs game in the Garden, another point of contention that NYC loyalists had against Trump’s buzzkill energy at the game.
Parker also faced the wrath of the internet for her fact-ignoring declaration.
As far as the vitriol aimed at Parker, one cutthroat X poster proclaimed, “I [don’t] know who you are, but you sure are a complete moron. I guess you posted this before you listened to the entire thing.”
“Nice try, weird Nicole, they boo’d his weird old orange a— out of New York,” a second individual wrote in Parker’s replies. A third stated, “NYC hates Trump. Did you not hear them booing?”
Parker and the president got further trolled when someone expressed, “Trump reposting your video where people are clearly chanting ‘F—k Trump’ during the last 10 seconds of the clip is just hilarious.”
Unfortunately for Knicks Nation, the team fell to 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs teammates in Game 3.
