Washington (AP)In addition to highlighting his new national security team, President-elect Donald Trump will meet with supporters and a Republican cause ally at Saturday’s Army-Navy football game. This is an opportunity to witness one of the most exciting rivalries in collegiate sports.
For the 125th meeting between military academies, Trump is anticipated to be joined by Vice President-elect JD Vance, embattled Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a possible backup defense option, and others.
Daniel Penny, a military veteran who was cleared last week of criminally negligent homicide in connection with the chokehold murder of a furious New York subway passenger, is also scheduled to attend. Vance invited Penny, accusing prosecutors of attempting to destroy Penny’s life by accusing the Marine veteran of being responsible for Jordan Neely’s death in 2023.
Prior to his inauguration on January 20, 2025, Trump has been appearing in public more and more. He attended Army-Navy games both during his first terms as president-elect and in 2016. Following his recognition as Time magazine’s person of the year, he was joined by Vance and his family on Thursday as he rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange.
Trump holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in the weeks following the election on November 5th, putting together a team to assist in leading his new administration. He and his associates have grown optimistic about Hegseth’s prospects of being confirmed by the Senate. Allegations of heavy drinking, sexual assault, and his opinions on women in combat have put the former Fox News anchor and Army combat veteran’s chances of becoming defense secretary in jeopardy.
If Hegseth’s effort fails, Trump has explored a number of potential replacements, including DeSantis, a former Navy lawyer who ran against him for the Republican presidential primary.
In an interview with Newsmax on Friday, senior adviser to Trump Jason Miller stated that Hegseth has survived the ordeal. Hegseth will be confirmed, Miller said.
Miller went on to say, “This person has actually been shot at on the battlefield.” That’s the kind of person I want in charge of the (Department of Defense) because I want someone who understands firsthand what it’s like to put American troops in danger before making the decision to send a young man or woman into combat.
Weeks before Republicans seize control of the federal government’s three branches, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is also anticipated to attend the game with a group of other GOP members hoping to gain a meeting with the new president.
Johnson stated that despite anticipated Democratic resistance, he hopes to talk with Trump about proposals for a legislative package that may pass Congress next year with a simple majority.
On Friday, Vance said that Penny, a fellow Marine veteran, had agreed to join him in the Army side of Trump’s room. After a judge withdrew a more serious manslaughter allegation last week due to a jury deadlock, Penny was exonerated of criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death.
The case served as a focal point for the ongoing discussions about racial justice as well as New York City’s inaction on homelessness and mental illness, two issues Neely had dealt with.
In a post on X, Vance claimed that Daniel is a fine man and that the mob district attorney in New York attempted to ruin his life because he has a backbone. I’m happy he accepted my invitation, and I hope he enjoys himself and realizes how much his fellow residents respect his bravery.
According to someone acquainted with Hegseth’s plans, Hegseth intended to be in a suite with a few Medal of Honor recipients.
According to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to publicly discuss the details, Trump’s choices for Army secretary Dan Driscoll, a former senior adviser to Vance and an Iraq War veteran, and Navy secretary John Phelan, a businessman who has never served in the military, are also anticipated to attend.
Northwest Stadium, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, in Landover, Maryland, will host the game after 3 p.m. EST.
Army (11-1) defeated Tulane on December 6 to win the American Athletic Conference, the first league title of any kind in the team’s 134-year history, and is now placed 19th in the Associated Press Top 25. Navy (8-3) began the season with six consecutive wins and was ranked previously.
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From West Palm Beach, Florida, Madhani reported. This article was written by Farnoush Amiri of the Associated Press and Noah Trister of the AP Sports in Baltimore.
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