In the aftermath of the New York Knicks game two win of their NBA Final Series against the Spurs in San Antonio last Friday, the left wing media became obsessed with the news that President Trump, a lifelong Knicks fan, would dare to attend Game 3 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump had been invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, something that most of the reporting left out, as they ripped Trump for causing increased security, and the insanity was on full display on CNN Monday night, just prior to, and during the game itself.
About 90 minutes before tip-off, on Erin Burnett OutFront, after Correspondent Omar Jimenez reported that the President's motorcade had reached MSG, with some people cheering, highlighting it was a "spectacle," and Burnett agreed. As she turned to CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Burnett made a bizarre observation.
BURNETT: President Trump, remember being a New Yorker, coming down that street. He gets to come down the wrong way and cruise around the corner there.
What was she talking about? When streets are closed for a presidential motorcade, one-way street and other traffic rules go out the window. Does she not know this, or was this her way of attempting to make Trump look bad?
And then came comparing privileged Trump to poor New York Mayor Mamdani trying to strike his own pose:
BURNETT: Fareed, it is an incredible moment, though, when you think about it, that the president of the United States chose to do this. Yes, it's incredibly disruptive to those who are there, but to come to this game and to be there in that moment of spectacle, when you also have the Democratic socialist mayor of New York, who's going to be in the audience, with a ticket he bought with his own money for a fraction of what anybody is paying to go to that now, sitting in a nosebleed seat, the juxtaposition and just the positioning of the president at this moment in this setting is significant.
FAREED ZAKARIA: Well, Erin, remember, Trump is the populist and Mamdani is the elitist, according to the narrative. And yet, this is how Trump goes, and Mamdani is going to take, you know, a seat in the bleachers.
BURNETT: Sitting with his friends.
ZAKARIA: Standing room only....But remember, Donald Trump has been to more live sporting events than any president in my memory. I wouldn't be surprised. I'm going to put this out. I haven't calculated, but he's probably been to more live sporting events in the last five presidents put together. He loves the attention. He loves the spectacle. I mean, he is essentially --BURNETT: Even in what may not be a very friendly room.
ZAKARIA: Right, because at the end of the day, if they're writing about him, if they're, you know, that's what he cares about. He wants, you know, the images, it's almost like he's still a reality television star and to him all publicity is still good publicity.
BURNETT: Right, spell his name right is sort of that was the attitude.
When Trump does something like everyday New Yorkers, it must be dismissed as purely selfish. And the storyline continued on The Source with Kaitlan Collins, while the game was in progress. She underlined all the inconveniences "nearly 20,000 ticket holders endured for him," and then he was booed.
She then turned to CNN's Van Jones, who didn't disappoint the liberal CNN audience.
COLLINS: The President was pretty loudly booed during the National Anthem as it played while he was standing inside Madison Square Garden.... Van, it's pretty loud boo during the National Anthem....
JONES: Nobody wanted him here, and the reason why is not what people think, oh, it's a blue city, and people don't like Trump. That's very true. But it's because it's been so fun....People walk around, they're smiling, they're happy and you know, and all around Madison Square Garden has been this ongoing kind of party atmosphere. And here comes President Buzzkill. Everybody's got to leave, they put up the fences and everything, and it just, it sucks.
Alyssa Farah Griffin warned that if the Knicks lost, New Yorkers would blame Trump because "his presence was a distraction."
Next it was back to Trump vs Mamdani, with CNN polling guy Harry Enten weighing in.
BURNETT: Mayor Mamdani is also in the building, but he is not seated at a box. He's actually in Standing Room Only.
ENTEN: And I would just say, great politics by Mamdani. I believe he opened up Bryant Park for a watch party.... if it ends up that the Knickerbockers lose, and hopefully they win, bad politics for Trump. Great politics from Mamdani, who continues to be a politician, a rare politician in New York who's, you know, actually liked.
That watch party would become violent, with over 20 arrests and several police officers injured, similar to what occurred outside Madison Square Garden last Friday night following the Knicks Game 2 win in Texas, something Jones did not mention while talking about all of the fun earlier.
After more praise of Mamdani from Jones, Burnett played a clip of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith ranting against Trump.
SMITH: This President has no business showing up in New York City.... It is selfish. It is narcissistic. It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game. I would say the same thing if it were Obama, George W., Clinton. I don't give a damn, we went back to Reagan.
Jones's response of, "Amen, brother", was no surprise. Griffin added: "Yes, spoken like a man who has to commute through New York like the rest of us."
In the minds of the media, Trump's attendance was just an unexpected gift thrown into their laps, and they made the most of it.
