Donald Trump recently attended Madison Square Garden for the NBA finals to cheer on his hometown team, but basketball fans were not thrilled to see the president at the stadium. Moreover, he was booed during the national anthem. But Trump seemingly smiled as he saluted through the anthem.
Donald Trump seemingly smiled after getting booed at NBA finals
Donald Trump went to Madison Square Garden on Monday to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals. However, not many were elated to see the president at the games as he was booed through the anthem. Chants of the USA echoed through the court when Broadway star Avery Wilson began singing the national anthem. However, shortly after, when Trump was shown on the Jumbotron, saluting during the anthem, the crowd erupted into boos. But the POTUS was captured smiling at this time.
The booing was met by loud cheers when the camera panned to Knicks star Jalen Brunson on the court. According to the Associated Press, Trump watched the finals from Knicks owner James Dolan’s box. He was accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai, as well as administration officials, including Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, and Doug Burgum, and personal adviser Boris Epshteyn.
This isn’t the first time Trump was booed at a major sporting event. As per the outlet, when the president returned to Queens to attend the U.S. Open men’s final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in late 2025, the audience ended up booing him. The audience reacted when he briefly emerged from his suite before the match started and during the national anthem. After hearing the reactions from the crowd, Trump reportedly “offered a smirk that briefly made the boos louder.”
Ever since returning to the White House in January last year, Trump has attended many games, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the Daytona 500. He even saw NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey, and the FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. At all of these places, while some of the crowds cheered him, he was booed at many events.
