A New York crowd at Madison Square Garden delivered a hostile reception to President Donald Trump on June 8, 2026, booing loudly as he failed to follow proper protocol during the national anthem before Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. The president drew criticism not just for the jeers but for his handling of the patriotic ritual itself, initially standing motionless before executing a military salute and fist pump instead of placing his hand over his heart. This marked the first time a sitting president had ever attended an NBA Finals game.
Trump, 79, attended with an entourage including his 19-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump, and several cabinet members. The Knicks fell 115-111, ending a 13-game winning streak that some fans attributed to Trump’s attendance. His presence caused major headaches for fans trying to enter the arena, with security measures snarling traffic outside one of the most famous venues in sports. Once inside, the president — who officially relocated from New York City to Palm Beach years ago — received the type of reception New Yorkers typically reserve for visiting villains.
A Jumbotron Moment Gone Wrong
As Broadway star Avery Wilson began performing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Trump appeared on the Madison Square Garden Jumbotron after the anthem had already started. The arena immediately erupted in boos as his image filled the giant screen. Trump smiled, his hand casting a shadow over his face.
The president initially stood motionless with his hands at his sides while those surrounding him, including Kai Trump and several cabinet officials, placed their right hands over their hearts. Even after Wilson had completed the first stanza, Trump remained frozen. Only when the camera focused on him did he lift his hand in a military salute, which he followed with a fist pump. By the time Wilson reached the final notes, the booing had intensified. Trump, still smiling, lowered his hand.
What the Flag Code Actually Says
Federal law under 36 U.S. Code § 301 instructs that “individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note.” The statute further specifies that “all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.”
Though the Flag Code is never enforced and carries no punishment for violations, the optics carry weight for a president who has built much of his political brand on criticizing NFL players who knelt during the anthem and positioning himself as the premier champion of patriotic ceremony.
Trump has never served in the armed forces. He received five deferments from the Vietnam War draft — four for education and one medical deferment for bone spurs in 1968. Despite this, he has made a habit of saluting during the anthem at events including the Army-Navy football game, his inauguration proceedings in January 2025, and a church service at Washington National Cathedral.
A Pattern of Hostile Welcomes
The June 8, 2026, incident was not Trump’s first experience being jeered at a New York sporting event. At a New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium in September 2025, he drew a mixed reaction of boos and cheers and also chose a salute over the hand-over-heart gesture.
Anthem difficulties have plagued him for years. On January 9, 2018, during the college football championship game in Atlanta, Georgia, between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia, Trump appeared to mouth incorrect words to the anthem. Video from that evening captured him mouthing some lyrics while occasionally pausing and missing others entirely. He clearly mouthed “bright stars” and concluded with a flourish, smiling and singing “the land of the free and the home of the brave” — but other lines were not sung at all. That appearance drew a mixed reaction of cheers and boos.
Trump’s anthem conduct has prompted comparisons to other presidents. Barack Obama famously neglected to put his hand over his heart during the 2008 election campaign, later explaining that his grandfather had taught him to do so only during the Pledge of Allegiance, and to sing during the anthem instead.
The Spectacle Continues
Trump has been pictured singing the anthem in the past and has been vocal in his support of respecting the anthem and the flag — making the Madison Square Garden moment all the more striking. When reporters asked him about the reception, Trump was unbothered. “I thought it was amazing, actually,” he said. “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.” Whether anyone in his orbit attempts to brief him on the difference between a salute and a hand over the heart before the next high-profile sporting event remains, like the anthem itself, an open question.
The moment gained a new dimension when Kai Trump posted a video on Instagram thanking an app called 15 Seconds of Fame for “capturing this special moment.” Viewers noted the audio appeared to replace the arena’s boos with generic cheers, with the anthem itself absent. The app, which uses facial recognition to create personalized game-day clips, was cited by a Page Six report as the source of the edit — an ironic coda to an already chaotic evening.
