JD Vance confirms Daniel Penny will attend the Army-Navy game following his acquittal in the subway chokehold trial

Vice President-elect JD Vance confirmed Friday that Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran found not guilty in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, has formally accepted his invitation to be his guest at the annual meeting has Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland.

NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman first reported that Penny was invited early Friday morning, adding that he would join President-elect Donald Trump in his suite at Northwest Stadium, the president’s home Washington commanders.

Republican vice presidential candidate U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) speaks during a campaign event on the Elite Jet at the Contact Aviation facility on October 24, 2024 in Waterford, Michigan. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Vance replied on social media to confirm Penny’s presence.

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“Daniel is a good guy and the New York district attorney tried to ruin his life because he has a spine,” Vance wrote in a post on X.

“I am grateful that he accepted my invitation and hope that he can have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”

Penny, 26, was charged with manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in the May 2023 death of Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, in a chokehold on the subway and storming onto the train, shouting death threats while high on it a known type of synthetic marijuana was called K2.

Daniel Penny arrives at Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday, November 22, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

DANIEL PENNY FOUND NOT GUILTY IN SUBWAY STRANGLEHOLD TRIAL

Last week, jurors were unable to reach a decision on the second-degree manslaughter charge. Prosecutors moved to dismiss the case, and the judge allowed the jury to deliberate only on the second charge, and they found Penny not guilty on Monday.

Penny is expected to join Trump and Vance at the 125th meeting of Congress Black Knights and midshipmen. Sources told Fox News Digital last week that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida will also be at Saturday’s game.

Army quarterback Bryson Daily (13) runs with the ball during the first half of the NCAA American Athletic Conference college football championship game against Tulane on Friday, December 6, 2024, in West Point, NY (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

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This season was a standout year for both football programs and turned heads at the annual rivalry game. The teams have a combined 19 wins and more this year Air force, The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will be awarded to the winner of Saturday’s game.

This is also Trump’s fifth participation in the Army-Navy game. He first participated in 2016 and appeared three times during his first term.

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz, CB Cotton, Grace Taggart, Paul Steinhauser and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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