President Donald Trump insisted on a different reception at the Knicks game, despite video showing he got booed loudly. His account has drawn scrutiny as it clashes with multiple reports and fan accounts.
The president attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday evening, which was the first time a sitting US president has appeared at the championship series. His attendance led to tightened security, a cancelled fan event outside the arena, and a booing reaction from the New York crowd.
Donald Trump talks about being booed at Knicks game
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport before boarding Air Force One, Trump fielded a question about whether the NBA had distanced itself from what he termed “left-wing” politics.
He gave a tempered critique of the league before pivoting to his personal experience at the game. “Well, it’s a little left-wing,” Trump replied. “Yeah, I think so. It tends to be a little left-wing, but it’s great entertainment. It’s great.” The president then addressed the crowd’s reaction.
Cameras had shown him seated in a private box alongside his granddaughter, Kai Trump, and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. CEO James Dolan during the national anthem, performed by Broadway artist Avery Wilson. Loud boos rippled through the arena as he appeared on the Jumbotron.
Donald Trump characterized the booing moment in glowing terms. “I thought it was amazing, actually,” he said. “You mean when they had the camera on me? I thought it was very good. Yeah. It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud and it was very enthusiastic” (via The Hill).
However, that description does not seem to align with the reporting from the venue. It has been recorded that the president was thunderously booed during the anthem. White House pool reporters reported distinct jeering, and some New Yorkers were seen directing obscene gestures at the presidential motorcade as they made their way to the venue (via The Daily Beast).
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
