Will Broadcasters Censor Donald Trump at the US Open Final?
Well, folks, get ready for another episode of “Where’s Trump?” because the former president is set to grace the US Open men’s final with his presence. This isn’t just a casual Sunday outing; it’s a full-blown media event waiting to happen, and the people behind the scenes are reportedly scrambling to control the narrative. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has apparently sent out a little memo to its broadcasters, basically asking them to please, please keep the cameras focused on the tennis and not on any potential crowd shenanigans related to Donald Trump.
Let’s be real, this is like asking a cat not to chase a laser pointer.
The USTA’s Polite Little Request
According to reports from outlets like CNN and Reuters, the USTA sent a memo asking broadcasters to “refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the president’s attendance.” It sounds less like a strict order and more like a desperate plea from an organization that just wants to watch some high-stakes tennis between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz without turning into a political circus. A USTA spokesperson tried to play it cool, telling The Athletic, “We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.”
Sure, that makes sense when a streaker decides to make a run for it. But when the disruption is a former and current president of the United States, that’s not just a disruption; that’s news. It’s like saying you’ll ignore an elephant in the room, but the elephant also used to run the country and might do it again. ESPN, the Disney-owned network holding the broadcast rights, has been pretty tight-lipped, but the plan seems to be to acknowledge Trump’s presence and then quickly pivot back to the match. Good luck with that.
A History of Not-So-Warm Welcomes for Trump
Why all the fuss? Well, the last time Trump showed up at the US Open in 2015, back when he was just a presidential candidate, the crowd in his own home borough of Queens greeted him with a chorus of boos so loud it became its own news story. ESPN’s cameras lingered on him then, capturing the icy reception. It seems the USTA is terrified of a repeat performance, especially in a deep-blue city like New York, where the crowd is a world away from the roaring fans at a UFC fight.
Trump has made a habit of appearing at major sporting events, and the crowd reactions have been a mixed bag of tricks. At the Super Bowl, the cheers reportedly outweighed the boos. But at the FIFA Club World Cup final, the boos were audible when he was shown on the big screens, creating viral clips that his detractors gleefully shared across the internet. It’s a roll of the dice every time, and the USTA clearly doesn’t want to gamble.
The Inevitable Social Media Storm
Of course, trying to control what happens on a live broadcast is one thing, but you can’t muzzle the entire stadium. The internet is already buzzing with anticipation. Conservative lawyer George Conway, with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, posted on X, “It would be terrible if he became upset over some chant like ‘WE. WANT. THE EPSTEIN. FILES.’ I earnestly hope and pray this does not happen.” The sarcasm is practically dripping off the screen.
You just know that every person with a smartphone in that stadium will turn into a citizen journalist the second Trump is shown on the Jumbotron. Any reaction, whether it’s cheers, jeers, or cleverly-worded chants, will be captured, uploaded, and debated on social media before the players even finish their next rally. The USTA’s request is a noble attempt to keep the focus on the sport, but it’s ultimately a futile one. They’re trying to put a lid on a volcano that’s already rumbling.
So, as we settle in to watch what promises to be an epic men’s final, the real drama might not be on the court at all. It will be in the stands, on the broadcast, and all over your social media feed. The question isn’t whether there will be a reaction to Trump, but how big it will be and whether the networks will have the nerve to show it. Grab your popcorn.
