Daniel Penny was all smiles as he attended the Army-Navy game with President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday.
The Marine veteran, who was acquitted of negligent homicide on Monday in the death of Jordan Neely, joined Trump’s loyal MAGA gang after accepting an invitation to the annual competition from incoming Vice President J.D. Vance.
Penny, 26, gathered in Trump’s suite at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, along with Vance, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Director of National Intelligence candidate Tulsi Gabbard, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The 45th president and Vance both made sure to personally greet Penny as the trio posed for photos in the suite.
On Friday, Vance called Penny “a good guy” when he went to X to reveal why he chose to personally invite him to the game this weekend.
“Daniel is a good guy, and the New York District Attorney tried to ruin his life because he had a backbone,” Vance wrote.
“I am grateful that he accepted my invitation and I hope he can have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”
Gabbard, who called Penny “courageous,” recalled how “special” it was to have him there.
Daniel Penny, 26, who was found not guilty of killing Jordan Neely, accompanied President-elect Donald Trump and future Vice President J.D. Vance at the Army-Navy game on Saturday
On Friday, Vance called Penny “a good guy” when he went to X to reveal why he chose to personally invite him to the game this weekend. (Photo: Trump, Penny and Vance in the suite)
“It was special to stand alongside courageous Americans like Daniel Penny, as he embodies the courage of our nation’s warriors, both in and out of uniform,” she told the New York Post.
“This game is not just about football; it is a heartfelt tribute to service and unity and reminds us of the sacrifices made for our freedoms.”
Thomas Kenniff, Penny’s lead attorney, told the newspaper that the Long Island resident was “very humbled and grateful to have been invited.”
Penny was arrested in May 2023 after putting Neely, a Michael Jackson impersonator, in a chokehold for a period that resulted in the victim’s death.
After a surprise decision to drop the manslaughter charge on December 6, the jury returned days later and decided that Penny had not committed negligent homicide by subduing Neely.
Penny and Vance are seen in the suite during Saturday’s game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, National Intelligence Director candidate Tulsi Gabbard, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were all in attendance.
A day after he was found not guilty, Penny spoke to Judge Jeanine Pirro and revealed he would have felt responsible ‘if anyone got hurt’ after the homeless man threatened to kill people on board the train.
“The guilt I would have felt if someone got hurt, if they did what they threatened to do, I could never live with myself,” Penny said.
He told the former judge that he felt he was “in a very vulnerable position” when he held Neely down on the floor of an F train.
‘He just threatened to kill people. He was in danger of going to prison forever, for the rest of his life, and now I’m on the floor with him.
‘I’m on my back in a very vulnerable position… If I just let him go, I’m now on my back and he can turn around and start doing what he said – to me… killing, hurting, Penny explained.
Although the case attracted widespread attention across the country, Penny said he is “not a confrontational person” and someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
Penny faced 15 years in prison on charges of second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide following the fatal F train incident last spring
‘I really don’t extend myself. These kinds of things are very uncomfortable. All this attention and limelight is very uncomfortable.
“I didn’t want attention or praise, and I still don’t want that,” he said, adding that he has come to terms with it because his actions saved the lives of others.
“And I’m going to have to go through a million court hearings and people calling me names and people hating me just to keep one of those people from getting hurt or killed.”
The case itself and Penny’s eventual acquittal enraged BLM activists, who immediately called for revenge in the form of black vigilantes.
During his interview, Penny also singled out “self-interested” officials who used the fatal incident as part of a “political game.”
Despite not naming anyone directly, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who led the case against Penny, has come under fire since the verdict was announced.
“This is their policy. And I don’t mean to get political, I really don’t want to make any enemies, even though I probably already have,” he told Pirro.
“But these are their policies that clearly haven’t worked, that the people, the general population, have no support for. Yet their egos are too big to agree that they are wrong.”
After walking free, the 26-year-old quickly rushed to a downtown bar to celebrate his victory with his lawyers and ponder his next move.
Penny told Judge Jeanine Pirro that he would have felt responsible if anyone got hurt’ after the homeless man threatened to kill people on board the train that day
Neely (pictured), who struggled with substance abuse and mental illness, has a criminal record that includes convictions for assault
Even before the verdict came back, there were calls from Republicans to herald him as a hero.
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Arizona, is so impressed with Penny and his quick action against Neely that he wants to award him Congress’ highest civilian honor: a Congressional Gold Medal, according to Fox.
“Daniel Penny’s actions exemplify what it means to stand against the grain and do the right thing in a world that rewards moral cowardice,” he said.
He went on to describe the justice system as “corrupt” and a system that “allows degenerates to flood our laws and our sense of security, while punishing the righteous.
Vivek Ramaswamy – who will lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Musk – donated $10,000 to Daniel Penny’s staggering legal fund, which has since reached $3 million.
He has also repeatedly spoken out about Neely’s lengthy criminal record, accusing the Manhattan district attorney’s office of “sharing responsibility for his death by creating an anti-law enforcement culture.”
Neely was once part of the city’s corps of subway and street performers and was known for his Michael Jackson impersonations. He struggled with substance abuse and mental illness, and had a criminal record that included convictions for assault.
Penny faced 15 years in prison on charges of second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide after the subway incident last spring, which was partially captured and sparked passionate national debate.
After finding him innocent, the courtroom erupted into cheers and clapping as Neely’s family shouted dire threats, calling Penny a “racist motherfucker” and warning, “It’s a small world, buddy,” before being escorted out .
Penny’s attorneys argued he acted in self-defense and in defense of other passengers after Neely terrorized their subway train and threatened them, but prosecutors say he turned to self-defense and criminally murdered Neely with a chokehold.
Now that the trial is over, Penny can turn his attention back to his studies. At the time of his indictment, he was studying architecture at the New York City College of Technology.
He also had two jobs – one as a swimming teacher and also at a restaurant in Brooklyn – which he gave up to focus on the test.
He’s also not completely out of the woods yet after Neely’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Penny last week.
Penny’s legal team, Kenniff and Steven Raiser, said they will immediately set their sights on pursuing their client’s case.