President Donald Trump's appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City generated plenty of discussion online, with some supporters insisting the president received a warm reception from the crowd. But according to eyewitness (and Daily Show host) Jon Stewart in attendance, the reaction was anything but positive.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Weekly Show podcast, Stewart pushed back on claims that the crowd's response to Trump was "mixed" when the president appeared on the jumbotron during the game. "I mean, mixed in the sense that it was 90% booing and 10% confusion," Stewart said, reporting on his vantage point courtside.
The comedian doubled down on that characterization by comparing the response Trump received to the one directed at the visiting team. According to the late-night TV host, the president's reception was no different than how Knicks fans greeted the San Antonio Spurs.
Stewart also poked fun at what many believed was an attempt to shield President Trump from a negative crowd reaction. Organizers appeared to time the Jumbotron shot during the national anthem, perhaps assuming fans would be reluctant to boo while the song was being performed.
Instead, Stewart said the plan immediately backfired. According to what he could hear, fans in the crowd were "immediately like 'f*** you'" when the president's image appeared overhead.
For Stewart, that timing made the crowd's feelings unmistakably clear. Rather than mixing the reaction, the contrast between the patriotic song and the immediate boos only highlighted what fans were actually expressing.
The Daily Show host also suggested that Trump may genuinely believe the crowd was cheering for him. Stewart attributed that perception to what he described as the president's unique ability to bend reality to fit his preferred narrative. In other words, the president hears what he wants to hear. Stewart said he believes Trump possesses a remarkable power of "reality distortion."
By the end of the discussion, Stewart made it clear he would prefer not to see a repeat performance when the series returns to New York for Game 4. The lifelong Knicks fan blamed Trump for disrupting the atmosphere before New York's Game 3 defeat, saying the president's presence through off the vibes in Madison Square Garden and jus may have put a hex on the team.
The good news for Stewart (and the Knicks) is that President Trump suggested he won't be able to attend the next game in New York. Maybe that will be all the motivation the team needs to close the series out in five games so they don't need to come back to Madison Square Garden and risk another curse.
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