Donald Trump set to watch Army-Navy clash with Defense pick Pete Hegseth, backup Ron DeSantis and Daniel Penny

The once-and-future commander in chief will oversee the most anticipated Army-Navy football game in recent history outside Washington, D.C., on Saturday, where he is expected to gather with allies and a Republican cause célèbre.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be joined by Vice President-elect JD Vance, embattled Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, potential backup defense option Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and others for the 125th meeting between service academies.

Also planning to attend is Daniel Penny, a military veteran who was acquitted this week of negligent homicide in the chokehold of an agitated New York subway rider. Penny was invited by Vance, who accused prosecutors of trying to “ruin” Penny’s life by charging the Marine veteran in the 2023 death of Jordan Neely.

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. Kickoff is after 3:00 PM EST at Northwest Stadium, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, in Landover, Maryland.

Trump, who attended the Army and Navy games as president-elect in 2016 and as POTUS in 2019, has made an increasing number of public appearances ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. He was joined by his family and Vance on Thursday as he rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

He has also made a habit of attending college football games such as the 2018 and 2020 College Football Playoff National Championships, as well as rivalry games between Georgia and Alabama, Iowa and Iowa State, as well as Clemson and South Carolina during the 2024 campaign.

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee to become Secretary of Defense, speaks to reporters

Possible Backup Defense Option Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is also expected to attend

Trump spent the weeks after the Nov. 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 veteran and former Fox News host’s chances of becoming defense secretary had been jeopardized by allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat.

DeSantis, who competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, is among the possible replacement candidates Trump has considered if Hegseth’s bid fails.

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 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 at risk, 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.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican – Louisiana) is also expected to attend the game, bringing with him a contingent of other Republican lawmakers vying for face time with the incoming president, weeks before Republicans announce the 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.

Also planning to attend is Daniel Penny, a veteran acquitted of negligent homicide

The Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights line up for the scrimmage during the first quarter of their 2023 meet, which Army won 17-11.

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 dismissed a more serious manslaughter charge 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 post on can have and can appreciate how his fellow citizens greatly admire his courage.’

Hegseth planned to stay in a suite with some Medal of Honor recipients, according to a person familiar with Hegseth’s schedule.

Trump’s picks for Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, a businessman who never served in the military, and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, an Iraq War veteran and former senior adviser to Vance, will go to expectation are also present, said the person, who was not. authorized to publicly discuss these details and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance talks with members of the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department

Navy quarterback Braxton Woodson (5) rushes down the field during a game against Tulane

Defensive lineman Dillon Stowers (96) reacts after the AAC Championship

Even in this peak season for military academy football – complete with winning streaks, national rankings and a conference championship – the biggest goal remains the same.

For Army: Defeat Navy. For the Navy: Defeat the Army.

With the college football landscape changing at a breakneck pace, the significance of this game adds a dose of tradition to mid-December amid all the talk about the transfer portal and the new expanded playoff.

‘We have had a good year. You will make it a great year by winning this competition next Saturday. Honestly, that’s just the way it goes around here,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. ‘It’s a game and a season all its own. We’re not sorry we talk about it all the time. We talk about it all the time, 365 days a year.’

“I knew we were going to be a better football team,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. ‘I didn’t know exactly what that would look like. I think we’ve definitely improved in a lot of different areas. I’m excited about the season we’ve had.” Advertisement

Army quarterback Bryson Daily has 29 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for the FBS lead with running back Ashton Jeanty, a Heisman finalist from Boise State.

Only one QB in FBS history has scored more TDs in a season than Daily. That was Keenan Reynolds of the Navy, with 31 in 2013.

“You come here to play this game. The biggest possible stage, millions of spectators and a sold out NFL stadium. It’s amazing,” Daily said. ‘None of the games leading up to this matter. We’re going into this game like we’re 0-0, they’re 0-0, because that’s exactly how you should come into this game.”