Donald Trump might be taking his talents to Madison Square Garden, and depending on who you ask, that could turn the NBA Finals into more than just basketball. According to ESPN, Trump has said he plans to attend one of the Finals games at MSG, where the Knicks are headed back to the championship stage for the first time since 1999. That alone is already a massive New York sports moment, but adding Trump to the building would add another layer of attention, tension, and security to the night.
Presidents showing up to sporting events is nothing new. Barack Obama at a basketball game, George W. Bush throwing out the first pitch after 9/11, Bill Clinton at the Final Four — those moments usually come with a mix of patriotism, celebrity and “looks who’s in the building” energy. Even when people disagree with the politics, sports crowds have historically treated presidents like special guests in a very American spectacle.
With Trump, though, it has always been different. He is not just a president who happens to be at the game. He is a walking political debate, and whenever his face hits a jumbotron, the arena basically becomes a live approval poll. Sometimes he gets cheers. Sometimes he gets booed. Sometimes he gets both at the same time, depending on the city, the sport and the crowd.
That’s what makes the idea of him popping up at an NBA Finals game in New York so interesting. MSG is already one of the loudest, most emotional buildings in sports, and New York crowds do not exactly hold back. So before we see what kind of reception Trump gets if he actually shows up, here’s a look back at some of the times he got booed at sporting events.
2015 U.S. Open — Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams
Before Trump was president, he got an early taste of what a New York sports crowd could sound like once politics entered the room. During the 2015 U.S. Open quarterfinal match between Serena and Venus Williams, Trump was shown on the video screens inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. The crowd responded with loud boos, turning a celebrity
sighting into a very public reaction to his growing political profile.
2018 College Football Playoff National Championship — Alabama vs. Georgia
Trump’s trip to the 2018 national championship game in Atlanta was not a full-on boo fest, so this one can be framed as a mixed reaction. When he walked onto the field before Alabama and Georgia played for the title, the crowd’s reaction included both cheers and boos. It was a reminder that even in a college football setting, where presidents usually get a pretty formal reception, Trump’s appearance could still split the room.
2019 World Series Game 5 — Nationals vs. Astros
This is probably the most famous one. Trump attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros at Nationals Park, and when he was shown on the stadium video board, the boos came fast and loud. The crowd also broke into “lock him up” chants, flipping one of Trump’s own rally-style chants back in his direction. It instantly became one of the most viral political sports moments of his first term.
2019 UFC 244 — Madison Square Garden
Just days after the World Series moment, Trump walked into another mixed but loud reaction at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. Some fans cheered, but there were also clear boos as he entered the arena for the Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz card. The moment mattered because UFC crowds are usually considered more Trump-friendly than most major sports audiences, but even there —in New York, inside MSG — the reaction was far from one-sided.
2025 U.S. Open Men’s Final
Trump returned to the U.S. Open in 2025 for the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and once again, the reaction got loud. Reports said he was booed when he emerged from his suite and again when he appeared on the stadium screens. The moment also caused extra conversation because his security presence created long lines, delayed the start of the match and made his attendance impossible to ignore.
2025 Yankees Game On 9/11 Anniversary
Trump also drew boos during a Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 11, 2025. Because it was the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the appearance already carried a different kind of weight. When he was shown on the Jumbotron during the national anthem and later during the game, the crowd gave him a mixed reaction — cheers from some, boos from others, with the boos getting louder each time he appeared on the screen.
2025 Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions Game
Trump made history in 2025 when he attended a regular-season NFL game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions, becoming the first sitting president in decades to do so. But history did not mean the crowd gave him a soft landing. When he was shown on the videoboard, fans booed, and the clip quickly spread online because the visual was so direct: a sitting president at an NFL game, getting loudly rejected by part of the crowd.
