“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg offered a rare defense of President Trump Monday, backing his right to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden — only for the New York Knicks to lose that night, touching off a wave of social media mockery blaming the president for jinxing the team.
Ms. Goldberg defended Mr. Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attending the NBA Finals, saying both longtime Knicks fans had earned the right to be there.
“I think anybody who’s a Knicks fan should be there,” Ms. Goldberg said on the Monday broadcast. “You earned the right as a Knicks fan. I don’t have to like you.”
“The View” played footage of Mr. Trump telling reporters he had accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan before Ms. Goldberg pushed back against those in the crowd who applauded concerns about his attendance.
“I’m sorry. Trump and Mayor Mamdani are Knicks fans, and have been,” she said. “They’re New Yorkers. And there’s nothing either one of them can do to change what’s happening in this city, for this team.”
Co-host Ana Navarro argued that Mr. Trump had forfeited his New York credentials, saying, “He was a New Yorker, but because they hate him so much here, and because he’s fleeing the taxes, he’s a Floridian.”
Ms. Goldberg pushed back on that too, drawing on her own experience as a California transplant who never stopped rooting for the Knicks.
“I have always been, at my core — because I’m from here — I have always been a Knicks fan,” she said. “And when you have always been a Knicks fan, it doesn’t matter where you live.”
When co-host Sunny Hostin raised the prospect of a presidential jinx, Ms. Goldberg was dismissive.
“I don’t think anything can jinx anything,” she told her co-hosts. “I think these guys are on a mission. They’re like the Blues Brothers: They’re on a mission from God!”
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin was less certain.
“If I were advising him, I would be like, do not go,” she said, “because if they lose tonight, everybody is going to —” before Ms. Hostin interjected: “The jinx!”
The prophecy proved apt. Victor Wembanyama recorded 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists as San Antonio handed New York a 115-111 defeat, cutting the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1. The loss snapped the Knicks’ 13-game postseason winning streak — the second-longest in NBA postseason history — ending a run that dated to a one-point defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on April 23, 46 days earlier.
The fallout was swift. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent political rival of the president, joined the conversation by sharing a screenshot of a White House post that read “Call it the Trump Effect,” alongside commentary about the Knicks’ defeat. ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith had anticipated the backlash before tip-off. “If they lose tonight, I’m looking right at him,” Mr. Smith said. “I’m blaming the president of the United States of America if the New York Knicks lose this tonight.”
Mr. Trump’s attendance also disrupted pre-game plans around the arena. The Secret Service and NYPD jointly determined that an outdoor watch party could not be held due to security requirements associated with the president’s attendance, according to a statement from Mayor Mamdani’s office confirmed at a press conference by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Ticketholders were urged to expect TSA-style screening and to arrive at least two hours before the 8:30 p.m. tip-off, with all bags prohibited. The HillCBS News
The president has described himself as a longtime supporter of the franchise. Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he planned to attend as a guest of Knicks owner James Dolan.
“I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time,” he said. Mr. Trump appeared unfazed by the postgame criticism, telling reporters, “It was, I think, mostly cheers” and “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
Mr. Trump made history as the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. The Knicks and Spurs return to Madison Square Garden for Game 4 on Wednesday night, with New York still leading the best-of-seven series two games to one. The Knicks are chasing their first championship since 1973.
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