History written in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. Not the kind the White House wanted.
President Donald Trump walked onto the court. The crowd let him have it. A cascade of boos from 19,000 fans. It was instant. It was loud. It was bipartisan.
The visit was billed as a celebration of American triumph. The NBA Finals. Game 5. But the soundtrack was a chorus of disapproval. Trump waved. The noise swelled. He forced a grin. The Kiss Cam cut away.
Inside the arena, a veteran Republican strategist told me: 'He's lost the suburbs. He's lost the young. This is a visual.'
This is not a normal presidential reception. George W. Bush was cheered at the 2001 World Series. Obama got a standing O at the 2012 Finals. Trump? He got the Garden treatment.
The backlash was swift on social media. #TrumpBooed trended within minutes. The White House press pool was silent. No comment from the West Wing.
But the political damage is deeper than the decibels. New York is solid blue. But this is a national broadcast. Millions of swing voters saw it. They heard it. The moment is now a campaign advert for the Democrats.
One aide whispered to me: 'They told him not to go. The data was clear. He insisted.'
The calculation inside the White House was simple: a brave visit to enemy territory. Show strength. But the execution backfired. The optics were brutal. Trump looked isolated. Even in a crowd of 19,000, he was alone.
What happens next? Expect the President to double down. A tweetstorm is inevitable. He will call the fans 'disgusting' or 'un-American.' He will claim the media doctored the sound. He will pivot to his base.
But the damage is done. The Garden booed the President of the United States. That is a fact. And in the game of politics, facts like these stick to the incumbent like gum on a shoe.
The NBA has not commented. The league office is silent. But their players have spoken. Several took to Twitter with emojis. No words needed.
For this reporter, it was a moment that defines a presidency. A president who cannot get a warm reception at a basketball game. A president who is a box office draw for the opposition.
The final buzzer will sound. But the political fallout is just beginning. Watch for the polls. Watch the swing states. This image will be replayed. Over and over.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief. Reporting from a city that once loved Trump, but tonight, just booed him.
