Acquitted subway hero celebrated with Trump at football
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Marine veteran Daniel Penny, recently acquitted in the NYC subway chokehold case, experienced a dramatic shift in fortune when he joined president-elect Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the Army-Navy football game.
The event, held at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, saw Penny attending as Vance’s personal guest in the president-elect’s suite. Notable attendees included Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Intelligence Director nominee Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Elon Musk.
Here’s the list of special guests watching the Army-Navy game:
🔴 Donald Trump
🔴 J.D. Vance
🔴 Elon Musk
🔴 Ron DeSantis
🔴 Tulsi Gabbard
🔴 Pete Hegseth
🔴 Mike Johnson
🔴 Daniel Penny— Jimmythecoach23 (@jimmythecoach23) December 14, 2024
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance wrote on X Friday, also referring to far-left Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”
The invitation came through a text to Penny’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff, following the verdict. “We were all shocked,” Kenniff told The Post Friday. “Danny’s first reaction was that, ‘There are a lot of veterans more deserving than me.’ [Attorney] Steve Raiser and I responded that you don’t say no to the incoming Vice President of the United States.”
The case, which concluded with Penny’s acquittal of criminally negligent homicide charges, stemmed from a May 2023 incident involving Jordan Neely on an F train. The verdict sparked nationwide discussions about mental health, crime, and racial issues.
🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump has just joined Daniel Penny and JD Vance at the Army Navy game
The crowd spotted him and started chanting “USA! USA!”
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/coP2YdhGgx
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 14, 2024
While conservative politicians celebrated the outcome, critics like state Sen. Jabari Brisport and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned it. Mayor Eric Adams maintained a neutral stance, focusing on systemic failures in mental health care.
Evidence revealed that Neely, who had schizophrenia and synthetic marijuana in his system, had been behaving erratically, threatening passengers before the incident. The chokehold, applied by Penny, lasted several minutes, ultimately resulting in Neely’s death.
The high-profile game featured Army (11-1) against Navy (8-3), continuing a historic rivalry dating back to 1890. Navy held a 62-55 series lead entering the contest, with both teams heading to bowl games this season.
