President-elect Donald Trump arrived at his hometown stadium in Washington on Saturday for the annual Army-Navy football game, bringing with him key allies who have been selected to join his inner circle when he returns to the White House on next month.
Trump was joined in his boxes by Vice President-elect JD Vance, as well as his nominees for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard; Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth; and national security advisor Mike Waltz. Elon Musk, whom Trump has chosen to establish the so-called Department of Government Efficiency along with Vivek Ramaswamy, also made an appearance.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump foe turned ally whom Trump reportedly viewed as a backup for Secretary of Defense if Hegseth fails to win Senate confirmation, was also in the game.
So was Daniel Penny, a Marine Corps veteran who was acquitted last week of manslaughter after fatally choking a subway passenger named Jordan Neely. Penny came at Vance’s invitation.
Trump attended the iconic annual showdown between the Black Knights of Westpoint and the Annapolis Midshipmen when he was president-elect in 2016 and during his first term in the White House.
Although Trump has drawn backlash for a series of controversial comments about service members, veterans and their families, the military has historically leaned more conservative and veterans backed Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 by a wide margin. according to Pew Research.
Earlier on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration banned drones around the stadium after a series of drone sightings across the Northeast sparked unsubstantiated claims that the drones were from an “Iranian mothership,” which the Pentagon has denied. On Friday, Trump suggested that the drones should be shot down.
Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing contributed to this report.