Resistance takes many forms.
Sometimes it’s people taking to the streets in protest, as they did this weekend in Chicago and its suburbs. Sometimes it’s governors banding together to ensure their citizens have access to vaccines that have been thoroughly vetted, as the governors of California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have.
And sometimes it’s ABC and ESPN not muting the full-throated chorus of boos that occurred when the president of the United States was shown at the U.S. Open on Sunday.
The U.S. Tennis Association’s request that broadcasters “refrain from showcasing any disruptions to the President's attendance in any capacity" was an embarrassment. This is not North Korea or Russia, and it is not ABC’s, ESPN’s or any other broadcaster’s job to stroke President Donald Trump’s ego. His vice president, Cabinet secretaries and Republican House leadership have that covered.
ABC and ESPN refused to kowtow. While they didn’t linger on Trump when he was shown during the national anthem ahead of the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, they didn’t filter out the reaction to him, either. The jeers and catcalls, resounding in Arthur Ashe Stadium, were clearly audible.
