President Donald Trump visited his hometown of New York City on Sunday. The reception, as well as his team’s response, was highly predictable.
With his approval ratings as low as 37 percent in some polling, and more and more Americans skeptical about the strength of the economy (as well as other issues including a militarized takeover of Washington D.C, and the ongoing Epstein Files controversy), the president has spent much of the summer cooking up various distractions.
But his latest high-profile spectacle – appearing in a corporate box with his MAGA entourage at the men’s final of the U.S. Open in Queens, the first president to do so in 25 years – slammed straight into reality Sunday afternoon.
That became clear when Trump appeared on the jumbotron during the performance of the National Anthem. A mix of a few cheers but much louder booing echoed around the arena as a massive American flag was unfurled. Trump smiled and clapped, next to a grinning Attorney General Pam Bondi.
It was exactly what organizers at U.S. Tennis had hoped to avoid – having reportedly asked broadcasters to refrain from showing any reaction towards Trump during his appearance at the Queens’ stadium.
For this was not a UFC match or a NASCAR event in a red state but deep-blue New York City — one of those liberal enclaves where Trump has threatened to deploy the military. It’s also America’s most glamorous city and the crowd at Flushing Meadows reflected that, packed to the rafters with celebrities, rock stars and power brokers; and a place that Trump has long craved adoration.
Immediately after journalists – including myself – began issuing reports that there had been booing, the White House’s “rapid response” X account fired back.
Sharing one of my “pool” reports — which journalists take turns in writing each day and are distributed to dozens of outlets — the White House’s post read: “All these Fake News Losers do is lie because their pea-sized brains have been irreversibly destroyed by [Trump Derangement Syndrome].”
“This is how it aired on TV. Note the cheers,” the account added.
Several sets into the match, it was time for another go. As Trump sat in the stands, the jumbotron showed the president and held his image on screen for a good 30 seconds. There were thunderous boos – but sparse cheers and clapping could also be heard.
This time, the White House made no response.
The match concluded without further drama – other than what had just happened on the court. Spaniard Carlos Alcazar took down Italian player Jannik Sinner in a thrilling four sets.
All in all, it was a fairly tame excursion for a president known for his ability to hog the spotlight. Perhaps the New York crowd’s reaction contributed to the president’s decision not to present the trophy to winner Carlos Alcazar on court. On X, users were already anticipating a repeat performance of the president’s monopolization of the FIFA Club World Cup award ceremony in New Jersey this summer, but it didn’t play out.
And despite the boos directed his way, Trump seemed to brush it off. In the stands, he could be seen laughing with members of his team, including Bondi, envoy Steve Witkoff, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Back in Washington after the match, he told reporters that the New York crowd had treated him nicely.
Before the match, the president had appeared in the press cabin of Air Force One, excitedly remarking that the plane was about to do a flyover of Citi Field and the U.S. Open grounds. As he boarded an SUV in New York, he grinned and told members of the media to have a good time at the final. During the match, cameras caught him giving thumbs up and waves to tennis fans who passed his box, and signing a few visors and baseball caps that were thrown his way.
But if the touchy response from the White House comms team was any indication, the president might need to look further than his native New York if he’s trying to convince anyone of his agenda’s popularity in America’s big cities.
