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Trump Courts Controversy at US Open as Rolex Guest, Boos May Be Off-Air
President Donald Trump is attending the U.S. Open on Sunday as a guest of Rolex despite imposing steep tariffs on the Swiss watchmaker's home country and with organizers seeking to keep any audience booing of him from being seen on the TV broadcast.
Trump has built the bulk of his second term’s domestic travel around attending major sports events rather than hitting the road to make policy announcements or address the kind of large rallies he so relished as a candidate.
He'll be watching the men's final between Carlos Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, and Jannik Sinner, 24, of Italy, from Rolex's suite. The president's acceptance of Rolex's invitation comes mere weeks after the Trump administration imposed a whopping 39% tariff on Swiss products.
The levy is more than 2 1/2 times higher than the one the Trump administration agreed to for European Union goods exported to the U.S. and nearly four times higher than on British exports to the U.S. It has raised questions about Switzerland’s ability to compete with the 27-member bloc that it neighbors.
The White House declined to comment on Trump accepting a corporate client's invitation at the tournament, but the president has had few qualms about blurring lines between political and foreign policy decisions and efforts to boost the profits of his family business.
“We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions,” the U.S. Tennis Association said in a statement.
Trump was once a U.S. Open mainstay, but hasn't attended since he was loudly booed at a quarterfinals match in September 2015, months after launching his first presidential campaign.
Alcaraz said before the final that having Trump on-hand would be a privilege and “great for tennis,” but also suggested that such sentiment went for any president watching from the stands.
“I will try not to be focused, and I will try not to think about it,” Alcaraz said of Trump's attendance. “I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it.”
"When they introduced him, there were loud boos and chants of 'USA' instead. It wasn't pretty."Despite the backlash, Trump remained unfazed, reportedly enjoying a reception at the tournament later that day.Sign up for the Breaking News Newsletter and receive up to date information.