Charlamagne tha God weighed in on President Donald Trump, who drew massive backlash for attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday at Madison Square Garden in New York, where the New York Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111. During Tuesday's episode of "The Breakfast Club," the radio host didn't blame the president for the Knicks' loss, as ESPN host Stephen A. Smith and others have. Instead, he asserted that Trump did something far worse: He killed the vibe.
Charlamagne's Take on Trump's Attendance
"Donald Trump wasn't responsible for the loss of the game, but he was responsible for the loss of joy that the New York Knicks fans had been feeling," Charlamagne said. "One of the greatest things about this whole playoff run, this Finals run, is watching the joy that Knicks fans have. I've never seen anything like it in New York City — not for the Yankees, not for the Giants. There's nothing like when the Knicks are winning. And Donald Trump came here yesterday and sucked the joy out of the city."
Charlamagne's comments came after Knicks fans accused Trump of cursing the team with his unprecedented attendance, as Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game. Fans also complained about the heightened security measures put in place for the president's visit. The uproar culminated in fans loudly booing the president inside MSG when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem.
Co-Host DJ Envy's Reaction
Charlamagne's co-host, DJ Envy, also questioned Trump's presence, even though Trump has gone to Knicks games before. "I'm sure [Trump] is a huge Knicks fan and he's probably just as excited [as the rest of the fans], but he didn't need to be there," he said.
Charlamagne disputed the point about Trump's past attendance and elaborated on how he, coming to the game as a sitting president, made everything, especially logistics around the Garden, much worse.
"The reason that's stupid is because he wasn't president of the United States of America back then," he explained. "I wouldn't want any president of the United States of America coming to an NBA Finals game in New York City. The block is only this big. You know how much congestion that it caused yesterday?"
Watch "The Breakfast Club" below. Skip to the 1:39 mark to hear Charlamagne's remarks about Trump.
