Trump booed while Mamdani cheered at NY Knicks-Spurs game

Donald Trump’s vanity will have taken a hit when fans booed him after being shown on the big screen at a basketball game in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

In contrast, cheers were heard as Zohran Mamdani strode into the arena ahead of the New York Knicks – Spurs game on Monday.

The FT reported.

President Trump attends Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals to cheer on his hometown team — but as Trump was shown on the jumbotron during the national anthem, the crowd erupted in loud booing. https://t.co/uQCepUP70B

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 9, 2026

CBS News wrote:

Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos.

US streamer, Hasan Piker, implied that Trump getting booed was inevitable.

they thought people wouldn’t boo if they showed him during the national anthem lmao https://t.co/G6nJDgmHqj

— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) June 9, 2026

And to make matters worse for Trump, the first US president to attend NBA finals, the Knicks lost.

Sleepy Trump

Trump popularised the term “Sleepy Joe” in reference to former President Joe Biden and is still using it.

Just last month, the White House posted:

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden… But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world” -… pic.twitter.com/Kjr5Rdaz0D

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 14, 2026

So why was Trump caught nodding off at the NBA game?

President Trump appears to fall asleep during Game 3. pic.twitter.com/FEjMjtYY83

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 9, 2026

This wasn’t the first time. Just last week, Democrats labelled Trump the “Commander-in-Sleep” after he appeared to doze off during an Oval Office press briefing on “clean coal”.

The Commander-in-Sleep clocks in https://t.co/I28i1cnQct

— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) June 4, 2026

Rubio to the rescue

Trump, with his falling approval ratings, an illegal war on Iran, and general chaos, clearly needs his rest. His minions are also rushing to rescue him when anyone dares call him out for sleeping on the job.

Last week, when Ted Lieu confronted the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, about Trump dozing off, Rubio insisted:

I’ve never seen him fall asleep. The guy doesn’t sleep.

Lieu played clips of Trump nodding off right next to Rubio and said:

You are literally talking about issues of war and peace and Donald Trump is sleeping right next to you.

oh my goodness — Ted Lieu played Rubio a video of Trump sleeping while Rubio tried to talk to him during a cabinet meeting. Then this exchange happened:

RUBIO: I’ve never seen him fall asleep

LIEU: I’m gonna show you a video that shows you just lied to Congress

*plays… pic.twitter.com/yccC9GcYoq

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 3, 2026

Rubio called it “outrageous”. Trump’s own explanation? The meeting was “boring” so he closed his eyes.

I don’t sleep much.

It would be funny if this man wasn’t a war criminal and paedophile who deserves to be booed at a basketball game, in Congress, and everywhere else he shows his face.

Featured image via USA Today

Tags: US