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Daniel Penny, the former US Marine who was recently acquitted of the killing of New York City subway rider Jordan Neely, spent Saturday rubbing elbows with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance at the annual Army-Navy football game in Maryland.
The death of the homeless Black street performer sparked outrage and demands for justice for homeless New Yorkers, while Penny — and some witnesses aboard the train — argued he was a danger to others onboard. The former Marine held Neely in a lethal chokehold for more than six minutes.
“He was just threatening to kill people,” Penny told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. “He was threatening to go to jail forever, to go to jail for the rest of his life.”
Penny emerged as a heroic figure among Republican officials and on right-wing media. Following his acquittal, Vance invited him to the Army-Navy game.
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance wrote on X earlier this week. “I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”
Donald Trump Jr shared a photo of Penny with Trump and Vance alongside the caption “common sense reigns again!!!”
On May 1, 2023, Penny placed Neely in a chokehold for nearly six minutes, continuing even as passengers on the train disembarked and Neely became motionless.
Passengers became alarmed when Neely reportedly began yelling on the train that he needed food, water, shelter, a job, and that he was willing to die. He also reportedly threw trash at passengers.
The city’s medical examiner’s office concluded that Penny’s chokehold killed Neely due to compression of the neck.
After Neely’s death, Penny was charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide.
Prosecutors dropped a more serious manslaughter after a Manhattan jury deadlocked on a verdict.
On December 9, he was acquitted on the remaining charge of criminally negligent homicide.
Both charges were felonies and carried the possibility of prison time.
During his trial, a GiveSendGo fundraiser for Penny’s legal defense became the second most successful campaign in the site’s history, raising more than $3 million, thanks in large part to right-wing support.
Meanwhile, protesters across New York City held events demanding justice for Neely’s death.
The family of Neely has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing Penny of negligent contact, assault, and battery that caused injuries and ultimately death.
Neely, who had previously worked a street performer and Michael Jackson impersonator, had a history of homelessness and schizophrenia. He had been previously accused of assaulting people at subway stations, but he did not touch anyone on the day he was killed.
Penny joined several other incoming Trump administration officials and prominent Republicans in the president-elect’s suite.
Former Fox News host and defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth; proposed director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; House Speaker Mike Johnson; incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune; Pennsylvania Senator-elect David McCormick; and Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk were also in attendance.
