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President Donald Trump ventured to Madison Square Garden in his hometown of New York City on Monday night to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals — where he was met with overwhelming boos from the crowd.

Trump’s face was shown on the Jumbotron in center court during the early part of the National Anthem. As he stood saluting from a private box, the camera turned its attention on him, prompting roaring boos from the crowd. Trump appeared to smirk slightly at the response.

Another angle of the incident demonstrated just how loudly the crowd was booing. Mere seconds after showing Trump’s face, the Jumbotron switched scenes, resulting in the crowd quieting.

Look how fast they took Trump’s face off the screen after the crowd erupts in boos.— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2026-06-09T01:05:57.207Z

Look how fast they took Trump’s face off the screen after the crowd erupts in boos.

Trump stayed for the entire game, which featured the San Antonio Spurs taking on the New York Knicks. At one point, he appeared to fall asleep in the middle of what was, by most accounts, a thrilling back-and-forth contest.

Beyond Trump’s deep unpopularity — and the fact that his far right politics clash with New York’s generally more progressive values — the booing may have been a response to the disruption caused by the president’s appearance at the venue. Heightened security for the president meant that fans had to arrive hours earlier than usual. Entire blocks in downtown Manhattan were closed off to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. And an area........

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