Kai Trump has been accused online of altering the sound in a video she shared from Donald Trump’s appearance at Game 3 in New York.
Social media users claim the original crowd reaction was booing, but the clip posted afterward seems to feature applause instead.
The debate began after the 19-year-old golfer uploaded footage showing herself beside the president during the national anthem at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks were beaten 115-111 by the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, June 8, 2026.
Trump’s attendance marked a first for a sitting US president at an NBA Finals game.
He viewed the matchup from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, joined by Kai and several administration figures. Wire reports identified some of those in attendance as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and adviser Boris Epshteyn.
Before the game got underway, Trump and Kai appeared together on the arena jumbotron during the anthem. In the live television broadcast, loud boos could be heard from around the packed arena as Trump was shown on screen. He appeared unbothered, smiling and keeping his salute in place.
The following day, Kai shared her own clip of the moment on social media.
“Thank you to 15SOF for capturing this special moment with my Grandpa,” She wrote alongside the clip.
Viewers quickly pointed to what they believed was a major difference in the audio.
In the version Kai posted, the jeers heard during the live broadcast were no longer obvious and seemed to be replaced by cheering. People also noticed that the national anthem could not be heard in the uploaded clip, which added to the skepticism.
“Changing the audio is wild though,” one user wrote.
Another added: “That’s embarrassing changing the audio.” A third was more blunt: “It’s sad in a way that she had to change the audio from booing to cheers, my God are all the Trumps fibbers.”
One commenter zeroed in on the missing anthem:
“Why isn’t the National Anthem playing in this clip? When I watched this clip LIVE, the anthem was playing and the boos were loud and clear. This is NOT an authentic clip.”
There is still no verified explanation for the audio difference. It remains unclear whether the sound was edited, muted, replaced by an app, or whether the video was reposted from a different source with altered audio after recording. As of Wednesday, June 10, 2026, no public evidence had emerged confirming who, if anyone, changed the sound.
The moment drew extra attention because the live boos were widely reported by major outlets and circulated in broadcast clips shortly after Trump appeared on the big screen. The reaction also came on a night of unusually heavy security around the arena, with outdoor watch-party plans near Madison Square Garden disrupted because of the president’s visit.
The MSG appearance was one of a string of high-profile sporting-event visits by Trump since returning to office, including the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500. His reception at such events has varied, but in New York the crowd response was clearly hostile when he appeared during the anthem.
At the men’s US Open final in Queens in 2025, boos were also heard when Trump appeared on screen during ABC’s broadcast. Reports said his smirk only made the crowd louder for a moment.
The reaction in New York followed much the same script.
Trump has repeatedly shrugged off negative receptions at public appearances, and Monday night seemed no different. But the online fallout from Kai’s post has kept attention on the moment long after the game ended.
With the Game 3 result, San Antonio cut into New York’s lead in the series, making it 2-1 to the Knicks. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Madison Square Garden.