Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasts Trump's NBA Finals visit over MSG watch parties cancellation

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump will be the first sitting President in history to attend an NBA Finals contest when he touches down in Manhattan for Game 3 on Monday, June 8, where the Knicks will take on the visiting San Antonio Spurs.

But while the occasion is unprecedented, not everyone is rolling out the red carpet for this welcome.

Furious Knicks fans initially urged Trump to scrap his visit after enhanced security measures tied to his attendance forced the cancellation of fan watch parties outside Madison Square Garden.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also joined the chorus, blasting Trump’s appearance at the NBA Finals. 

AOC calls Trump’s visit a ‘vibe-killer’

The 36-year-old Congresswoman, on her Instagram stories, was asked whether Trump's attendance on Monday would be a “vibe killer.”

“It already has been! Now the city has to shut down all the watch parties outside of the arena, which have been the source of so much fun,” she replied.

“All of that is going to get shut down tomorrow because Trump wants to show up.”

Ocasio-Cortez suggested she has previously declined invitations to major events to avoid disrupting the experience for fans in attendance.

“As a politician, I have gone to my fair amount of sports games - but there are just some things that you don't want to go [to], either to jinx it or just in general.”

“Sometimes the accommodations that are required - [such as] the security for you to show up - are just not worth shutting down the fun for other people. Sometimes you decide not to go to things so that other people can enjoy it,” she stated.

AOC’s comments came after Stephen A Smith also cleared that he does not want President Donald Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

“He's coming to Game 3 of the Finals, and I don't want him there," Smith said unprompted on his radio show.

"It has nothing to do with politics, policy, or anything like that. It has everything to do with him disrupting and contributing at the same time to the chaos that's going to exist at Madison Square Garden. If it were Barack Obama coming to the Garden, I would say, 'Stay home.' Stay at the White House,” he added.

Madison Square Garden watch party stands canceled

Despite earlier reports suggesting the watch parties would be called off, an NYPD spokesperson told Front Office Sports on Sunday that the outdoor gatherings would still be allowed to proceed.

However, Knicks fans’ happiness didn’t last long, as another statement from the NYPD, released just hours later, backed away from that stance.

“There will be no watch party outside MSG. This decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service,” the department confirmed in the statement.

“There will be watch parties at other locations. We are currently determining where they will be. We'll get back to you when we have more to share.”

In the statement, the department also insisted that Trump’s visit is the leading cause behind the cancellation of the watch party.

“The permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 watch party was denied by the City's permitting office in consultation with the NYPD,”

“However, the White House will confirm that this is not about the President. We understand NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden,” the statement continued.