JD Vance Invites Acquitted Daniel Penny to Trump’s Suite at Army-Navy Football Game: ‘Good Guy’

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

After being found not guilty for the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, veteran Daniel Penny will be joining Vice President-elect JD Vance at the Army-Navy game this weekend.

Penny will watch the game kickoff from President-elect Donald Trump’s suite at the Washington Commanders Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Vance issued a statement on Friday praising Penny as a “good guy” who was targeted by New York DA Alvin Bragg.

“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 to his followers on Friday. “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”

Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone.

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. https://t.co/b4bY0G0EM3

— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 13, 2024

Earlier this week, Penny, a former Marine, was found not guilty by a jury for criminally negligent homicide. Prosecutors accused Penny of causing Neely’s death on a subway train back in May 2023 after putting him in a chokehold.

Neely had a history of mental illness. Fellow subway riders told police that Neely was being aggressive toward other passengers before Penny placed him in a chokehold.

Penny’s jury was deadlocked last week over the charge of manslaughter before the judge ultimately dismissed the charge. The jury then was sent back to deliberate the second lesser charge and issued a verdict of not guilty. Following Penny’s acquittal on Monday, Vance wrote on X, “I have not said much about this case out of fear of (negatively) influencing the jury. But thank God justice was done in this case. It was a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place.”