President-elect Donald Trump huddled with allies and a Republican cause Saturday at the Army-Navy football game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, a chance to take in one of the biggest rivalry stories in college sports , while putting the spotlight on his emerging rivalry. national security team.
Trump was in the box of Senator-elect Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania and former Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell McCormick. He was accompanied by the newly elected Vice President J.D. Vancecontroversial Pentagon choice Piet Hegseth and others for the 125th match between service academies. Tulsi Gabbardwhom Trump selected as his director of national intelligence was spotted in the box.
Elon Musk, the billionaire tapped to become co-head of the newly conceived Department of Government Efficiencywas also seen with Trump.
was also present Daniel Pennya military veteran who was acquitted of negligent homicide this week in the stranglehold of an excited subway passenger in New York. Penny was invited by Vance, who accused prosecutors of trying to “ruin” Penny’s life by charging the Marine veteran in the case. death of Jordan Neely in 2023.
General Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffwas also shown seated with Trump. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council.
Brown was nominated for the post by President Biden in May 2023.
Trump, who attended the Army and Navy games in 2016 and during his first term as president-elect, has made more and more public appearances before his inauguration on January 20, 2025. On Thursday, he was joined by his family and Vance as he rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.
Trump spent the weeks after the November 5 election at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida assembling a team to help lead his next administration. He and his aides have grown optimistic about Hegseth’s chances of winning Senate confirmation. The Army combat veteran and former Fox News host’s chances of becoming defense secretary were in jeopardy amid allegations of drinking excessively, sexual abuse and his view on it women in battle.
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Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said in a Newsmax interview on Friday that Hegseth “passed the gauntlet.” Miller predicted Hegseth will be confirmed.
“This is someone who was literally shot at on the battlefield,” Miller added. “That’s the type of person I want to lead (the Defense Department) because when we’re making these decisions about whether to put American troops in harm’s way, I want someone who knows on a personal level what that’s like before you go and send a young man or young woman into battle.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike JohnsonR-La., attended the game And brought with him, a contingent of other Republican lawmakers are vying for face time with the incoming president, weeks before Republicans take control of the three branches of the federal government.
Johnson said he plans to discuss plans with Trump for a legislative package that could pass Congress with a simple majority next year despite expected Democratic opposition.
Vance said Friday that Penny, a fellow Marine veteran, had accepted his invitation to Trump’s suite on the Army side. Penny was acquitted of negligent homicide in Neely’s death after a judge ruled dismissed a more serious charge of manslaughter last week because the jury was deadlocked on that point.
The case was a flashpoint in long-standing debates over racial justice as well as New York City’s failure to address homelessness and mental illness, which Neely had struggled with.
“Daniel is a good guy, and the New York District Attorney tried to ruin his life because he had a backbone,” Vance said in a message on can have and can appreciate how his fellow citizens admire his courage immensely.”
Governor Wes Moore declared December 14, 2024 Army vs. Navy Game Day in Maryland.
“Today isn’t just about one of the greatest rivalries in college sports – it’s about what brings us together. I am proud to be part of the long tradition of service that defines our state and country; a tradition that transcends background, ideology and race. and family history,” Moore said.
Army (11-1) is ranked 19th in the Associated Press Top 25 after beating Tulane on Dec. 6 and winning the American Athletic Conference – the first league title of any kind in the 134-year history of the team. Navy (8-3) rose to the top of the rankings earlier this season after starting with six straight wins.
The Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights have faced off on the football field every year since 1930, including when the United States was fighting in World War II.
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The military will pay tribute to soldiers who fought 80 years ago in a pivotal battle that took place when Adolf Hitler launched a last-ditch effort to push back American and allied forces in Europe. The Army’s 101st Airborne was among the units that fought Axis forces during frigid weather.
Now the Army Black Knights hope to honor that dogged determination on the field today. Their field uniforms are inspired by the snow and trees that surrounded the soldiers, and reflect the tenacity of the soldiers who refused to surrender and were able to defeat the enemy.
