Daniel Penny is a guest of Trump and Vance at the Army v Navy game

A New York City subway rider acquitted this week of killing a homeless man during a confrontation on a train has joined US President Donald Trump as a guest of honor at a popular US sporting event.

Daniel Penny, who became a conservative celebrity, was pictured attending the Army v Navy American football game near Washington DC with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Ahead of the match, Ohio Senator Vance said in a post on X that he was “grateful” that Mr. Penny, a former US Marine, had accepted his invitation to be in Trump’s suite on the Army side.

A jury on Monday acquitted Mr. Penny of criminally negligent homicide for using a fatal choke hold to restrain Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who had yelled at other passengers and begged for money last year.

The Army v Navy game is an annual game that marks the end of the college football season and is the final game of the season’s Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series.

It is one of the great American sporting rivalries, representing the fierce competition between two branches of the US Armed Forces.

In a photo taken outside Trump’s suite at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland on Saturday, Mr. Penny is seen talking to Trump and Vance.

Speaking of Mr. Penny’s acquittal earlier this week, Vance said this week on X that Mr. Penny was “a good guy, and the New York mob district attorney tried to ruin his life to have a backbone”.

The incoming vice president added that it was “a scandal” that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg ever pursued the case.

Neely’s death and subsequent trial became a flashpoint, with some accusing Mr. Penny for being a vigilante, while others defended him, arguing that he was looking out for the safety of other passengers.

Mr. Penny’s attorney, Steven Raiser, said in a statement that his client was honored by the invitation to Saturday’s game.

“He doesn’t see it as a political statement. He sees it as basically an honor,” Raiser told the Reuters news agency.

“If it was a president in office who was a Democrat who invited him to the Army-Navy game as a way to show support for the military and for his country, he would have gladly accepted that as well.”

Also at the game were Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has recently been rumored to be in the running to replace Hegseth if Trump withdraws the offer.

Hegseth’s nomination has come under intense scrutiny amid questions about his qualifications and personal conduct.

Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, his nominee to be director of the FBI, Kash Patel, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump ally Elon Musk were also in attendance.

Mr. Penny’s not guilty verdict earlier this week came after prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious charge of second-degree manslaughter when Manhattan jurors couldn’t reach a consensus.

He has said that he never intended to kill Mr. Neely, who had a history of mental illness.

The May 2023 subway incident sparked protests across New York and reignited debates about safety on public transportation and how the city cares for those struggling with mental health issues and homelessness.

Attention will now turn to a civil lawsuit brought by Mr Neely’s father, who is seeking damages for alleged civil assault and battery.

Mr. Penny’s lawyer previously described the legal action as a distraction.