MSNBC Host Comes To Trump’s Defense, Smacks Down Latest Hoax: ‘I Was There’

Circulating on the left is a suggestion that President Donald Trump was roundly booed while attending the U.S. Open finals on Sunday. Not so, said one liberal reporter who was on hand for the competition.

Video of Trump’s appearance first appeared on Bluesky, the left’s alternative to X, and shows Trump waving to a sparse audience before the start of a match. Almost no crowd reaction could be heard.

But the Rolling Stone held up the video as evidence that Trump was “booed repeatedly,” an allegation that didn’t sit well with MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle.

“I was there. I didn’t witness him getting booed & the delay wasn’t a big deal,” she said about Trump’s appearance before most attendees had taken their seats.

“The day was about great tennis. The President was there too.”

If anything, a crowd reaction was decidedly mixed at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, where crowds gathered to watch Carlo Alcarez win over Jannik Sinner.

The greatest audible reaction came when Trump appeared on the Arthur Ashe Stadium screen to mouth “thank you.” Viewers at home only got fleeting glimpses of the president, missing out entirely on some glad-handing and smiles traded with supporters as he made his way out of the stands.

Trump, seated with the championship trophy on his left, was joined by advisors Jared Kushner, attorney general Pam Bondi, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, The Athletic reports.

After the second set, throngs of fans crowded Trump’s box seats, attempting to get his attention. “Please take your seats,” chair umpire James Keothavong told the audience as both players returned for their next set.

About an hour and a half into the match, Trump went inside his box seats and later returned to watch Alcaraz take control of the fourth set shortly before clinching the match.

Neither player acknowledged Trump during their speeches, but Alcarez did climb into the bleachers before turning away from Trump’s box to greet his own team. Trump did not present Alcarez with the trophy, which would have been a repeat of his surprise appearance to award English soccer club Chelsea with the Club World Cup in June.

Uniformed guards and members of the U.S. Secret Service coordinated protection around the 24,000-seat stadium. Protestors could be seen at the perimeter holding signs, and MAGA influencers accused them of taking payments for being there.