Trump’s Vice President Pays Tribute to New York ‘subway vigilante’
J.D. Vance has extended an invitation to Daniel Penny to attend the Army-Navy football game, mere days following Penny's clearance of homicide charges in Manhattan. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
J.D. Vance, the US Vice President-elect, has extended an invitation to Daniel Penny to be his personal guest at the forthcoming Army-Navy football game in Washington. This invitation comes shortly after a Manhattan jury acquitted the former Marine of racially motivated murder charges.
Penny, also a former US Marine, faced homicide charges in connection with a May 2023 incident that resulted in the death of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill Black homeless man. Prior to the confrontation, Neely had entered a subway car making threats, stating that “someone is going to die today,” which led Penny and two friends to intervene.
“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. I appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage,” Vance shared on X this past Friday.
Reports have indicated that Vance will host Penny in the presidential suite at the Washington stadium, where President-elect Donald Trump is also anticipated to be present. The Army-Navy Game, featuring West Point cadets and Annapolis midshipmen, is a significant event in US college football history.
After the jury's verdict, Vance took to X to express his belief that it was “a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place.”
Penny has denied the label of vigilante, asserting that he held no racial bias towards Neely, and maintained he was merely trying to ensure the safety of the other subway passengers amid a series of violent incidents occurring at that time. He did not testify during the trial.
The charges against Penny became a contentious issue in the United States, with Republicans like Trump and Vance claiming that New York Democrats aimed to penalize individuals for defending themselves and others. In contrast, Democrats framed the episode as rooted in racism and bigotry.
During the trial, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, led by Alvin Bragg, repeatedly referred to Penny as “the white man” and contended that he had “choked” Neely. This narrative drew parallels to the 2020 death of George Floyd, which sparked widespread racial unrest across the nation.
Bragg has also been involved in prosecuting Trump under controversial circumstances related to alleged “hush money” payments, a case currently facing scrutiny following developments from the upcoming presidential election and Supreme Court decisions on executive immunity.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
Penny, also a former US Marine, faced homicide charges in connection with a May 2023 incident that resulted in the death of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill Black homeless man. Prior to the confrontation, Neely had entered a subway car making threats, stating that “someone is going to die today,” which led Penny and two friends to intervene.
“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. I appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage,” Vance shared on X this past Friday.
Reports have indicated that Vance will host Penny in the presidential suite at the Washington stadium, where President-elect Donald Trump is also anticipated to be present. The Army-Navy Game, featuring West Point cadets and Annapolis midshipmen, is a significant event in US college football history.
After the jury's verdict, Vance took to X to express his belief that it was “a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place.”
Penny has denied the label of vigilante, asserting that he held no racial bias towards Neely, and maintained he was merely trying to ensure the safety of the other subway passengers amid a series of violent incidents occurring at that time. He did not testify during the trial.
The charges against Penny became a contentious issue in the United States, with Republicans like Trump and Vance claiming that New York Democrats aimed to penalize individuals for defending themselves and others. In contrast, Democrats framed the episode as rooted in racism and bigotry.
During the trial, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, led by Alvin Bragg, repeatedly referred to Penny as “the white man” and contended that he had “choked” Neely. This narrative drew parallels to the 2020 death of George Floyd, which sparked widespread racial unrest across the nation.
Bragg has also been involved in prosecuting Trump under controversial circumstances related to alleged “hush money” payments, a case currently facing scrutiny following developments from the upcoming presidential election and Supreme Court decisions on executive immunity.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
