When President Donald Trump descends on Manhattan Monday night, he’ll be joined by a pair of top White House aides and at least one Republican gubernatorial hopeful, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will be far away from the action, both on and off the court.
Mamdani said at a Monday afternoon press conference that he paid nearly $1,000 for a standing-room-only ticket for Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. The White House did not indicate Trump would meet with Mamdani during the president’s visit to the Big Apple.
Still, the White House played its cards close to the chest when discussing just who exactly will join the president for Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, or where he will be seated. Knicks owner James Dolan is close with the president, having previously donated to Trump’s political operation and allowing him to hold a campaign rally at MSG in 2024. Public speculation expects Trump to sit in the owner’s box Monday night.
Trump, a lifelong Knicks fan, will bring at least White House communications director Steven Cheung and Office of Presidential Personnel director Dan Scavino, according to persons familiar with the president’s plans. Both men have frequently attended sporting events with Trump. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Trump’s endorsed candidate in the 2026 New York governor’s race, said over the weekend that he will meet with the president before the game and might grab “a hamburger” with him.
Trump‘s inner circle is chock-full of New York Republicans, but several told the Washington Examiner that they would not make it to the Garden on Monday night.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) said in a statement that he would be “rooting for the Knicks from Washington, D.C., [Monday] evening.”
“With as many jobs as Texas has been taking from New York lately, it’ll be nice to see the Knicks bring something valuable back from Texas for a change,” he wrote.
Marc Molinaro, Trump’s Federal Transit Administration administrator and a former New York congressman, similarly said he was “not able to attend” alongside the president.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Andrew Giuliani, the director of Trump’s White House FIFA World Cup task force, all have close ties to the city but did not respond to comments about attending Game 3.
No matter who he brings, Trump’s appearance at MSG is throwing a major wrench in the viewing and attendance plans for everyday Knicks fans.
MSG announced that Trump’s visit forced the Knicks to cancel plans for Game 3’s outdoor viewing party outside the arena. Thousands of fans attended the watch parties for Games 1 and 2, both played in San Antonio, and saw the Knicks claim victory after mounting fourth-quarter comebacks.
Instead, Mamdani said Monday that the city will host a viewing party instead at Bryant Park.
“These watch parties have become a celebration of New York City itself,” Mamdani said. “From every borough and every neighborhood, this city has come together to cheer on the Knicks and share in a moment that belongs to all of us. That’s why we’re adding Bryant Park as an additional watch party location, so even more fans can be part of this incredible Knicks Finals run. Whether you join us in Bryant Park, Central Park or at Brooklyn Bowl, we invite New Yorkers to come together and support our team. Let’s go Knicks.”
Though Trump isn’t scheduled to fly from his private club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to Manhattan until the 7 p.m. hour, the New York Police Department shut down 15 blocks surrounding MSG to vehicular and pedestrian traffic at 4 p.m., though people with game and train tickets are allowed inside the security quadrant.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended the enhanced security protocols that Trump’s attendance would impose on ticketed fans and city residents.
“Sports are at the forefront of American culture, and President Trump loves them as the people’s president,” she wrote to the Washington Examiner. “As a lifelong fan, the president looks forward to watching the Knicks compete to bring home their first NBA championship in more than 50 years at Madison Square Garden tonight.”
A White House official additionally told the Washington Examiner that the administration “appreciates the Secret Service and NYPD’s efforts in ensuring this historic game not only is safe, but a pleasurable experience for all attendees.”
Still, there’s a chance that Trump may return to New York City on Wednesday night to attend Game 4, especially if the Knicks win on Monday. He told reporters at the White House last week that Dolan invited him to both Games 3 and 4 and that he was considering attending “both.”
ESPN host and NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith, often discussed as a dark-horse 2028 presidential candidate, excoriated Trump’s Monday jaunt to MSG.
“This president has no business showing up in New York City,” Smith said on ESPN Monday, claiming that Trump has not attended a Knicks game since the 1990s. “It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game.”
STEPHEN A. SMITH CALLS TRUMP ‘NARCISSISTIC’ FOR ATTENDING KNICKS GAME
Furthermore, Smith argued that if the Knicks, who have not won an NBA championship in 53 years, lose games with Trump in the crowd, Republicans might face political backlash in November.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him,” Smith said. “I’m blaming the president of the United States! I’m gonna stay on that. And damnit, I hope the GOP loses votes because of it if we lose tonight! I’m gonna be against them. All of them! I’m telling you right now. We better not lost tonight’s game.”