The New York Knicks have waited 27 years to reach the NBA Finals once again.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has no interest in sharing this Knicks moment with the President of the United States. Ahead of Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Jeffries went on CNN and let it rip.
Hakeem Jeffries Takes Shots at Donald Trump
“He has to make the America 250 celebration about himself. He’s got to make the World Cup about himself. He’s got to make the east wing of the White House about himself. And now he wants to make this historic Knicks championship run about himself as well. Get lost. Doesn’t this guy have better things to do?” he said.
Jeffries: He’s trying to make the Kennedy Center about himself. He has to make the America 250 celebration about himself. He’s got to make the World Cup about himself. He’s got to make the East Wing of the White House about himself. And now he wants to make this historic Knicks… pic.twitter.com/1xUlvOQZs2
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 6, 2026
For a city that has spent over half a century chasing a second championship banner, he made clear that this moment belongs to New York and its fans.
Jeffries, a lifelong Knicks fan, went further in the same CNN interview. “Why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing?” he said. “Like, literally, the Knicks haven’t been in the NBA Finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We’ve embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself.”
He predicted Trump would not receive a warm welcome inside MSG. “I’m not sure it’s going to be a good reception for him,” Jeffries said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who will also be at Game 3, struck a different tone. “We’re excited to welcome anyone and everyone who’s rooting for the Knicks in this moment,” Mamdani said. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver echoed that, calling Trump “very much a New Yorker” and saying he was thrilled to have him attend.
Trump himself confirmed his appearance aboard Air Force One on Friday, saying he has been a Knicks fan for a long time and may return for Game 4 as well.
For Jeffries, this is not about politics. It is about a city finally getting its moment, and he believes one man is centering himself in it.
Game 3 tips off Monday night. The Knicks lead the series 2-0. Whatever reception awaits Trump inside the Garden, Hakeem Jeffries has already made his position perfectly clear.
