President Donald Trump smiled and saluted under a mixed torrent of boos from New Yorkers at Madison Square Garden while attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals.Trump took the presidential suite of the arena shortly before the game started, with a high-profile retinue in tow. His appearance was guaranteed to draw strong reactions from the crowd, which was heard when the camera panned to him during the national anthem.Naysayers got the first say, sending a torrent of boos and jeers right as the camera switched to his suite. Trump only smiled and saluted, triggering loud boos and a smattering of cheers mixing into a low roar from the crowd.
Associated Press reporter Michelle Price noted that his featuring on the screen drew widespread boos, but not as loud as when the San Antonio Spurs players were shown on the screen.
New York City is famously blue, turning the state into a Democratic bastion every election cycle. Its current mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is the first socialist to run a major American city.
Pictures and videos showed crowds of New Yorkers booing and flipping off his motorcade during its long route to Madison Square Garden.
Trump brought a high-profile retinue to occupy the presidential suite with him, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, diplomats Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, attorney Boris Epshteyn, aide Natalie Harp, his granddaughter Kai Trump, and Director of White House Oval Office Operations Walt Nauta.
