Kai Trump Accused of Replacing Boos With Cheers in NBA Finals Video-Here's What Really Happened at MSG
The chorus of boos heard as Donald Trumpappeared on the Jumbotron during Game 3 of the New York Knicks versus San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals was heard almost around the world. And while the president had a somewhat different interpretation of what happened, telling reporters, "It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic," critics are now panning his granddaughter, Kai Trump, for editing a video of the event.
The 19-year-old soon-to-be college freshman recently posted a clip on Instagram of herself with her grandfather at Madison Square Garden during a New York Knicks game, thanking the 15 Seconds of Fame mobile app for "capturing this special moment with my Grandpa."
While the sentiment is undoubtedly sweet, skeptics had something to say about the 15SOF version.
One commenter noted, "She replaced the audio." Of course, the response created a backlash of its own, with others writing, "Or the fake news switched the audio?", "I guess everyone that posted video from inside the stadium also switched it," and "It's a child's post about her grandfather. Get off her page."
But it didn't stop there. Hundreds of comments later, fans and critics were still debating whether Kai changed the audio or not, with responses like, "She just posted the video, the audio was changed on the video she posted but she didn't sit there and edit it," and, "The people filmed from inside the stadium and it was on live TV."
The controversy kept going on Reddit, where critics/fans were divided. One redditor wrote, "Imagine bringing your family to a game and the whole arena basically saying "nope" in real time. That's rough in a way money absolutely cannot fix," while others had a very different take, positing, "That family has no shame" and, "Just another Trump who will continue the grift."
It looks like Game 3 is the last time during this year's NBA Finals that Trump (Donald, that is) will watch the Knicks play live. According to ESPN, scheduling conflicts and other obligations make it unlikely the president will attend Game 4.
Following Trump's attendance at Monday night's game, some of the players spoke out about the problems it created. Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox told the San Antonio Express-News, "I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient for everybody else." he continued, "We're getting screened like it's TSA. It's a little inconvenient for the people that's got to play, but it is what it is."
The responses weren't all negative. Per The Guardian, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said, "We can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart." He added, "We're seeing that in New York and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I'm thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and joy around the Knicks team."
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 7:28 AM.