President Donald Trump’s return to his hometown of New York City on Sunday, September 7, 2025, was anything but a quiet affair. Making his first appearance at the U.S. Open in a decade, Trump’s presence at the men’s final in Queens was marked by a swirl of spectacle, controversy, and viral intrigue—much of it unfolding in real time both inside the stadium and across social media.
The event, already heightened by the anticipation of a championship match between Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner, took on new layers of drama with Trump’s arrival. As reported by multiple outlets, including The Independent and The Daily Beast, Trump became the first president in 25 years to attend the U.S. Open in a corporate box. Surrounded by a cadre of White House staff, Cabinet members, and family—including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and granddaughter Arabella—the president seemed eager to soak in the city’s electric atmosphere.
But the reception Trump received was a stark reminder of New York’s political leanings. According to The Independent, as Trump’s image appeared on the stadium’s massive Jumbotron during the national anthem, the crowd’s reaction was immediate and unmistakable: a few cheers, but a much louder chorus of boos. The stadium, packed with celebrities, power brokers, and tennis fans, reflected the city’s deep-blue character. For a president who has often craved adoration—especially in his native New York—this was hardly the hero’s welcome he might have hoped for.
The U.S. Tennis Association had reportedly hoped to avoid any political drama, even asking broadcasters not to show the crowd’s reaction to Trump. Yet, reality had other plans. When journalists reported on the booing, the White House’s rapid response team fired back on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the press of dishonesty. “All these Fake News Losers do is lie because their pea-sized brains have been irreversibly destroyed by [Trump Derangement Syndrome],” the official account retorted. “This is how it aired on TV. Note the cheers.”
Later in the match, Trump’s image returned to the Jumbotron, this time lingering for about 30 seconds. According to The Independent, the crowd’s response grew even more pronounced—thunderous boos echoed around the arena, though a smattering of cheers and applause could still be heard. The White House, notably, did not issue a second response.
Despite the charged atmosphere, Trump appeared unfazed. Cameras caught him laughing and chatting with Attorney General Pam Bondi, envoy Steve Witkoff, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. He flashed thumbs up, waved to tennis fans, and even signed visors and baseball caps tossed his way. Before the match, he’d appeared in the press cabin of Air Force One, animatedly discussing a flyover of Citi Field and the U.S. Open grounds. Upon arriving at the stadium, he told reporters, “Have a good time at the final.”
Yet the night’s most viral moment would come not from the tennis court, but from a single photograph. As Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz battled for the title, photographer Andres Kudacki snapped an image of Trump with a mysterious blue object between his teeth. Kudacki, who posted the image on X, described it as the president “taking a tablet,” but later clarified to The Daily Beast that he was unsure whether it was a mint or medication. “I don’t know what it was specifically, I said it was a ‘tablet’ as that works for both, a mint or a tablet,” Kudacki explained. “I was waiting for some reaction from him, he’s a big personality.”
The image quickly set off a firestorm of speculation online. Users on X debated whether the blue item was a breath mint or one of several possible medications, including Adderall, Viagra, Valium, Lexapro, or even Hygroton, a medication used for high blood pressure and fluid retention. Some invoked the term “blue pilled,” referencing the iconic scene from The Matrix—a nod to the meme culture that often swirls around Trump’s every move.
Adding a layer of intrigue, the White House had confirmed in July 2025 that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where leg vein valves struggle to return blood to the heart, leading to swelling and bruising—symptoms that had been noted by observers. When contacted by The Independent about the blue object, a White House aide insisted it was simply a mint. The president, it turns out, has a well-documented fondness for mints; during his hush money trial, where he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, he was frequently seen popping Altoid Smalls in court.
The speculation didn’t end there. Some users on X tried asking Grok, the platform’s AI bot, to identify the object. After some digital back-and-forth, Grok offered, “Possible matches include clonazepam (1mg, round, for anxiety), alprazolam (1mg, round/oval, for anxiety), or Adderall (10mg, round, for ADHD). Could also be OTC like naproxen. Still uncertain without details.” The uncertainty only fueled more theories, with some suggesting it was Hygroton, a blue, square-shaped pill used to treat high blood pressure and fluid retention.
Meanwhile, the match itself unfolded with all the drama befitting a Grand Slam final. Carlos Alcaraz ultimately triumphed over Jannik Sinner in four gripping sets, a feat that drew cheers and applause from the crowd—regardless of their political leanings. In a departure from his previous public appearances, Trump did not present the trophy to Alcaraz on court, a move that surprised some who recalled his headline-grabbing role at the FIFA Club World Cup award ceremony earlier that summer.
Security was tight throughout the evening, with the Secret Service acknowledging that the president’s presence had delayed the start of the final. “We recognize that enhanced security for the President’s visit to the U.S. Open may have contributed to delays for attendees. We sincerely thank every fan for their patience and understanding,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
After the match, Trump returned to Washington and told reporters that the New York crowd had “treated him nicely,” a characterization that some might find at odds with the audible boos that greeted his appearances on the big screen. Still, the president’s team seemed eager to project an image of resilience and good humor, brushing off the evening’s controversies as just another chapter in a presidency defined by spectacle and polarization.
For all the noise—both literal and digital—Trump’s night at the U.S. Open was a microcosm of his relationship with New York and the nation at large: complicated, contentious, and impossible to ignore.
