Just before President Trump made an appearance at the US Open Men’s Finals, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) allegedly requested broadcasters to censor reactions to the world leader attending the event.
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In an email obtained by Bounces, the USTA asked broadcasters to silence the US Open’s crowd, either boos or cheers, to Trump’s presence during the match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony,” the email reads. “We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG (Electronic News Gathering) coverage.”
The email also featured the USTA’s US Open social media police and “talking points and additional facts” about President Trump’s appearance.
“President Trump is planning to watch the US Open Men’s Singles Final from a suite as a sponsor guest,” the only talking point reads.
However, despite the request, fans were able to hear booing and cheering as President Trump appeared at the US Open.
Due to extensive security measures, President Trump’s appearance at the US Open ended up causing a 30-minute delay for the match.
He is the first president to attend the US Open since 2000.
The White House Denies Asking USTA to Censor Reactions to President Trump’s Appearance at the US Open
Meanwhile, the White House officials responded to claims that they asked USTA to censor reactions to President Trump’s appearance at the US Open.
“That’s not true,” one official said to ABC News. “We did not ask anyone to censor.”
USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre confirmed that the organization did ask to censor the sounds. “We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.”
Following the event, President Trump spoke about his experience. “I loved it. First of all, the two players have unbelievable talent. It just seemed they hit the ball harder than I’ve ever seen before. Incredible talent, and I enjoyed it. I used to go all the time, but you know, lately, it’s a little bit more difficult. I really enjoyed it.”
“Fans were really nice,” the world leader added. “I didn’t know what to expect. Usually, you would say that would be somewhat progressive, as they say nowadays, crowd. Sometimes – some people would call it liberal. But we’ll use the word they like ot use, progressive. But they were great, the fans were great.”