The New York Knicks are two wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973.
And Jerry Nadler just used a congressional hearing to complain about it.
That's not what the hearing was supposed to be about – but when has Nadler ever let substance get in the way of a stunt.
What Actually Happened at the Sports Broadcasting Act Hearing
Wednesday's House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on the Sports Broadcasting Act was supposed to address something that matters to working Americans – the NFL locking games behind streaming paywalls that can cost fans nearly $1,000 a year to watch their favorite teams.
Roger Goodell was invited to testify.
Real money, real consumers, real harm.
Nadler couldn't stay on topic for five minutes.
Instead of addressing why NFL fans are getting fleeced, the 78-year-old congressman took a detour to relitigate Monday's NBA Finals game – the one where Trump became the first sitting president in history to attend.
https://twitter.com/RepJerryNadler/status/2064069302345416819?s=20
His exact words: "We cannot discuss anything related to sports today without taking note of the sports story happening in this country today – the New York Knicks' drive for an NBA championship. Tonight is Game 4, and as long as Donald Trump stays far away from Madison Square Garden, the Knicks should do fine. Let's go Knicks."
A sitting congressman. At a formal hearing.
Blaming the president for a basketball loss.
This Is What Democrats Do When They Have No Arguments
Trump attended Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night as the guest of Knicks owner James Dolan.
He became the first sitting president ever to attend an NBA Finals game. The Knicks lost 115–111.
So Nadler – ranking member of the very subcommittee holding this hearing – decided his most valuable contribution to a discussion about broadcast antitrust law was a joke about Trump being bad luck.
This is what Democrats do when the substance doesn't go their way.
They use official government time – your tax dollars – to score cheap points.
Nadler has been pulling this routine for years.
In February, cameras caught him appearing to fall asleep during Pam Bondi's opening statement at a Judiciary Committee hearing – his own committee, his own witness.
A staffer had to wake him up.
But Wednesday he was wide awake.
That's what it takes to get Jerry Nadler's attention: not Americans losing money on streaming fees, but the chance to dunk on Trump at a basketball hearing.
Trump Was There Because He Loves the Knicks
Trump was invited by Dolan, a longtime friend.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was a "genuine Knicks fan" who was "welcome" at the game – adding that sports are "something we have in common" and that people should "look for those things we have in common and build off that."
Silver is not a Trump ally.
He said it anyway, because it's true.
Trump has now attended 17 sporting events since returning to office.
The Super Bowl. The Daytona 500. The U.S. Open. The Ryder Cup.
He shows up because he's a fan – and because the American people elected someone who actually enjoys the country he's running.
Yes, security requirements created longer lines and temporarily canceled watch parties outside MSG.
That's the reality of any presidential appearance, regardless of party.
It's been true for every president who has ever attended a major event.
Nadler knows this. He doesn't care. The point was never fan inconveniences.
The point was the clip.
Democrats Have Run Out of Legitimate Attacks
Trump is winning on the economy.
He's winning on the border.
The Knicks – his team, the city's team – are one game away from ending a 53-year championship drought with the president having made history in the building.
So Nadler goes to a hearing about NFL streaming rights and spends his time blaming the president for a basketball loss.
Meanwhile, Roger Goodell walked into that room knowing he had to answer for why American football fans need multiple subscriptions costing nearly $1,000 a year just to watch their own team play.
Nadler let him off the hook.
Sources:
- Ryan Morik, "Nadler Goes Out of His Way to Rip Trump's Knicks Game Appearance During Sports Broadcasting Act Hearing," Fox News, June 10, 2026.
- Ben Golliver, "Trump Becomes First Sitting President to Attend NBA Finals Game," ESPN, June 9, 2026.
- "Examining the Sports Broadcasting Act," House Judiciary Committee Republicans, June 10, 2026.
- "Trump Booed at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of NBA Finals," NBC News, June 9, 2026.
- "All the Sporting Events Trump Has Attended Since Becoming President," AOL, June 2026.
- Ashley Oliver, "Nadler Mocked After Appearing to Doze Off During Bondi Hearing," Fox News, February 11, 2026.