President Trump was met with mixed reactions while attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City on Monday.
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According to AP News, the world leader was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on the arena’s video screens during the national anthem.
While the crowd chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as singer Avery Wilson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the mood quickly changed as the cameras displayed Trump on the screens, giving a military salute.
The booing seemed to end when the screens changed to the US flag. Fans in the arena then cheered as the New York Knicks took the court.
Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs were also met with noticeable boos.
The Knicks, which haven’t won an NBA title since 1973, previously had a 2-0 lead against the Spurs. However, the Spurs beat the Knicks during Game 3. The teams will now face off during Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Trump Speaks About the Reactions
Despite the cold greeting he received inside the arena, President Trump remained optimistic.
“I thought great,” the world leader said about the reaction while speaking to reporters after the game. “It was amazing, actually. I thought it was very good, yeah. It was certainly amazing.”
He further claimed, “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
Trump also said, “The game was fantastic. Well played by both teams. We all had a lot of fun. It was great to watch very talented players.”
Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA finals game. He watched the game from the New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite. His granddaughter, Kai, as well as personal advisor Boris Epshteyn, and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, and Doug Burgum, accompanied him.