Donald Trump Faces Intense Backlash: Booed During National Anthem at Madison Square Garden

Donald Trump, accompanied by his granddaughter Kai, faced a wave of loud boos from the audience at Madison Square Garden during Monday night’s New York Knicks game.

Prior to Trump’s appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, significant portions of Manhattan were cordoned off, with a security perimeter set up around the iconic venue, causing the cancellation of local watch parties in anticipation of the former president’s visit to New York City.

Critics labeled Trump’s decision to attend the much-anticipated game as ‘selfish,’ voicing their discontent when he appeared on the jumbotron before the match began.

During the rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, the arena was filled with what the White House pool report described as ‘thunderous’ boos that lasted roughly ten seconds, briefly overshadowing the pre-game ceremonies until the camera cut back to the players.

Unaffected by the reception, Trump responded with a subtle grin, offering a salute and raising his fist in recognition of the anthem, performed by Grammy-nominated artist Avery Wilson.

Standing beside him, his granddaughter Kai mirrored his reaction, appearing amused as they observed the scene from their protected vantage point.

Rather than a highly-coveted $50,000 courtside seat for the Spurs-Knicks Game 3 showdown, the president was behind bulletproof glass in a suite at mid-level inside MSG. 

Alongside Kai, he was joined by Knicks owner James Dolan – wearing a garish orange suit – as well as interior secretary Doug Burgum and transportation secretary Sean Duffy.

When the jumbotron changed from Trump to Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson, the deafening boos changed to wild cheers. 

Outside the arena, meanwhile, thousands of fans – who had shelled out eyewatering amounts for their tickets – were forced to line up for hours in the New York heat.

All fans entering MSG went through extra security checks and metal detectors before entering, and the steel ring meant that fans were subjected to lengthy waits that threatened to see them miss tip-off.

Trump arrived in Manhattan via a helicopter into the Wall Street Landing Zone, where his motorcade then raced up to Madison Square Garden.

En route to the arena, the president was subjected to middle fingers and thumbs down from the New York public, as reported by the White House pool.

Several others held signs that read ‘Nobody wants you here’, ‘Trump must go’, and two others said: ‘Impeach. Convict. Remove.’ 

On the southwest corner of 34th St and 8th Av, videos on social media showed anti-Trump protestors holding signs that read: ‘See you in hell’ and ‘Trump must go now’. 

Over the weekend, Trump sparked a furious reaction from New Yorkers when he announced his plans to travel to Manhattan to watch the game.

The president was also asked for his reaction to the extortionate ticket prices, causing more anger by telling fans to ‘watch on TV’ if they could not afford to go.

Trump, who is not paying for his own ticket and was instead invited for free by Knicks owner Dolan, said: ‘Well, I know, but they can watch it on television.

‘It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television. But that’s the way life goes… now if the game wasn’t as big – if the team wasn’t a big success – you could go very easily. So you can do that, too.’

He added: ‘But that’s the way life is, you know. They’ve had great success. And don’t forget, they’ve suffered also losses, and they’ve suffered during the bad time. Now they have a good time. They have a team that’s amazing.’

Trump’s decision to attend the game has wreaked organizational havoc, with the NYPD erecting a steel ring around the perimeter of MSG and hundreds of Secret Service on site to keep the president safe.

Increased security concerns led to the pre-planned watch party outside MSG to be canceled and moved to Bryant Park, which will hold 5,000 New Yorkers for the game.

The Knicks also sanctioned two further watch parties around the city for fans unable to be inside MSG, one at Wollman Rink in Central Park and another at Brooklyn Bowl. 

Meanwhile, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also in attendance for Game 3, having claimed earlier in the day that he had paid under $1,000 for the privilege.

He was spotted beaming for a photo from his standing-room-only area, and the Daily Mail also witnessed him shaking hands with fans and posing for photos. 

Despite thousands of diehard fans shelling out upwards of $10k for the chance to witness history, the mayor told reporters he had spent just a three-figure sum to be among the ‘standing room only’ fans inside MSG.

‘I bought my tickets for nearly $1,000 from Madison Square Garden,’ he said. ‘I’ll be going to tonight’s Game 3, and I’ll be standing for the duration of the game.’

The NYPD and Secret Service surrounded MSG and Game 3 watch parties were canceled

He insisted that he purchased his ticket ‘directly from the organization itself’ and that he received no mayoral discount.

‘That’s something that I purchased directly from the Madison Square Garden, close to $1,000 was the price of it, and standing room only is just the section that I’ll be standing in,’ he added.

Despite his insistence, fans were left skeptical, questioning how Mamdani, a democratic socialist, got his hands on one of the most-coveted tickets in New York.

As of Monday afternoon, tickets in the standing room only section were listed on resale sites for as much as $4,900 – a far cry from Mamdani’s price of below $1,000.

The discrepancy between the skyrocketing prices available to the people of New York and the apparent mayoral discount left fans furious.

Many suggested that Mamdani had received a discounted ticket, while others pointed out that accessing tickets directly from MSG wasn’t a luxury available to everyone.

‘Tickets are always put on the side and comp’d by ownership & the league for celebrities, politicians, hall of famers and other dignitaries,’ one social media user alleged on social media.