The United States Tennis Association (UTSA) is under fire after reportedly instructing broadcasters to censor any boos directed at Donald Trump during his appearance at the US Open.
The 79-year-old American president watched on as Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the tournament's nail-biting men’s singles final on Sunday (7 September).
He used to be a regular visitor to the annual tennis competition but has not been since 2015, a year before he was elected president for the first time, when spectators booed him.
And multiple channels that were showing the event broadcast the moment Trump stepped out of his box seat to wave to the crowds, to which a mix of cheers and boos greeted him.
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Another video shared by Telegraph Sport shows that when Trump was shown on the big screen during a break following the first set, he was 'loudly jeered by spectators'.
However, some feeds, including an ABC TV broadcast, cut the sound so that the crowd audio was not included.
As per Reuters, the cheers and boos were audible during the ESPN feed of a later Trump appearance before the start of the event.
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An email obtained by Bounces, sent from the USTA to broadcasters, reportedly shows that they were asked not to show any 'disruptions or reactions in response to the President's attendance'.
It read: "With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony.
"We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.”
This supposed move has prompted backlash online, as social media users have reacted to the reception that Trump received.
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One Twitter user, who's clearly not a fan of the president, penned: "Donald Trump drowned in boos at the US Open—a humiliating reminder that Americans reject his toxic presence, loudly and in public."
Meanwhile, a second wrote: "The US Open showed Donald Trump on screen again during this break and there was loud booing. This is so embarrassing for Trump."
A third said: "Donald Trump is telling networks to censor booing today at the US Open. Thank goodness for cell phones!!!"
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"Even at the US Open, Trump can’t escape the boos. They actually tried to censor the crowd. Legendary," quipped someone else.
Tyla has contacted the United States Tennis Association for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, News, Politics, Sport, US News
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Madison Burgess