In the span of six days, subway vigilante Daniel Penny goes from sweating in a futuristic prison to spending time with the president-elect in a luxury suite.
Marine Corps veterans received a hero’s welcome Saturday as they attended the annual Army-Navy football game with soon-to-be commander-in-chief Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Penny, who was acquitted by a Manhattan jury on Monday of the strangulation death of New York City subway passenger Jordan Neely, was acquitted of the intense rancor held in the president-elect’s suite at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. He attended the game as Vance’s personal guest.
Also included are Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and billionaire Elon Musk. Participated in the match.
Before kickoff, Penny, wearing a navy blue suit and tie, was seen chatting with Vance, Veep’s future wife Usha, and Johnson in a luxurious suite.
Minutes later, Trump was seen standing next to Vance, shaking his fist and waving at a crowd chanting “America!” united states of america! “And salute during the national anthem.
President Trump also took time to greet Mr. Penny as he and Mr. Vance posed for several photos with the Marine Corps veteran. Vance was seen patting Penny on the back while chatting with Trump, and earlier seen greeting and laughing with another customer.
“Daniel is a good guy. New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin Daniel’s life because he had a backbone,” Vance wrote in X Friday, also referring to far-left Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. .
“I am grateful that he accepted my invitation. I hope he enjoys himself and realizes how much his countrymen admire his courage.”
Gabbard told the Post that she was honored to join Trump “surrounded by great Americans celebrating the meaning of freedom and service.”
“Standing with a brave American like Daniel Penny was special because he embodies the courage of our nation’s warriors both in and out of uniform,” he said. “This game is more than just about football. It is a heartfelt tribute to service and unity, and a reminder of the sacrifices made for our freedom.”
Vance invited Penny, a 26-year-old Long Islander, to a game at the 65,000-seat home of the Washington Commanders, and sent a text message to Penny’s lead attorney, Thomas Kenniff, announcing the verdict. Blessed.
“He is very humbled and grateful to have been invited,” Kenniff told the Saturday Post.
The verdict came days after a more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed by prosecutors after 12 jurors (seven women and five men) deadlocked on the rap.
The lightning rod incident sparked intense debate and political division across the country about mental illness, crime, vigilantism, and race.
Vance and many other conservative Pauls have publicly praised the ruling while criticizing Bragg for bringing criminal charges against Penny.
But many on the far left have criticized Neely’s death, including state Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who claimed the 30-year-old homeless man had been “lynched.” They condemned the needless violence committed by vigilante groups. (DN.Y), claimed that Neely was “murdered.”
Others, including Mayor Eric Adams, argued the lawsuit highlights a broken system that has failed Neely and others struggling with mental health issues and drug addiction. Adams said he “respected” the jury’s decision, but declined to say whether he agreed with it.
Trump has not mentioned the case publicly recently, but people familiar with the matter say he is heavily invested in the case and asked for continued updates throughout the trial. . Penny and Trump reportedly spoke one night during jury deliberations.
During the trial, Bragg’s prosecutors relentlessly pressed the race card in front of the jury, routinely calling Perry a “white man” and accusing his actions of racially motivated motives. This was despite witness after witness confirming that nearly everyone on the subway car had been living in fear for 30 years. – Old man Neely’s actions.
Neely, who suffered from schizophrenia and was taking synthetic marijuana, began behaving erratically, throwing trash at passengers and talking about wanting to kill people, screaming, “I’m ready to die.” Witnesses testified that it was.
Penny strangled Neely for several minutes while the train was moving, and police officers who responded to the scene said Neely had a weak pulse when they arrived, but died shortly after.
Mr Neely had previously been convicted of assaulting people at a subway station.
Penny got to watch one of the most anticipated matchups in the Army-Navy series for the first time in decades.
Both teams have re-emerged as nationally relevant college football programs this year and are scheduled to head to bowl games later this month.
Navy won Saturday’s contest 31-13 and now leads the series 63-55, with seven games ending in ties. With the win, Navy improved its record to 9-3, while Army, the American Athletic Conference champion, fell to 11-2.
The series has been performed annually since 1930 and dates back to 1890.
