Marine veteran Daniel Penny celebrates his recent acquittal on manslaughter charges at a historic college football arena.

Penny, who was recently found not guilty of killing homeless man Jordan Neely in a subway chokehold, joined President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance in a suite at Maryland’s Northwest Stadium on Saturday for his 125th anniversary . Army-Navy game. Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard and House Speaker Mike Johnson were also guests in Trump’s suite.

Photos of Penny posing next to Trump and Vance in the suite went viral during the game.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Several social media users responded with praise for Penny, praising the Marine veteran as a hero.

Cryptocurrency influencer Tiffany Fong shared the photo and praised Penny as a hero in a post on X.

“Donald Trump (and) JD Vance know that Daniel Penny is a hero,” Fong wrote.

Conservative X-influencer and podcast host Nick Sortor called for Penny to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the post, and dozens of others agreed with him in the X-responses.

“Daniel Penny received a HERO’S WELCOME from President Trump and JD Vance at the Army-Navy game – much deserved!” Sortor wrote. “I really hope Trump will award Penny the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. shared the photo with the caption: “Common sense rules again!”

Author Ashley St. Clair shared the photo with a caption that suggested Penny was on trial because she was a white man. Penny’s chokehold on Neely, who was black, sparked a national conversation about race.

“The days of malice and persecution of white men just for being white men are over,” St. Clair wrote.

During Penny’s trial, prosecutors routinely referred to the Marine veteran as “the white man.”

ARMY-NAVY GAME IS “COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN ITS PURE FORM” IN THE NILE ERA, SPONSOR CEO SAYS

Penny was charged with manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter because Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, stormed onto the train in a subway chokehold on May 1, 2023, shouting death threats.

Witnesses said Neely’s threats frightened them more than a typical subway outburst, and they were grateful for Penny’s intervention.

Neely had a long time Criminal recordan active arrest warrant, a history of psychosis and high use of K2, a synthetic form of marijuana that pathologists described as a stimulant.

When jurors said they had found Penny not guilty of involuntary manslaughter on December 9, cheers erupted on his side of the courtroom in New York City. At the same time, the verdict sparked an angry reaction from Neely’s side, including his father Andre Zachary, who was escorted from the courthouse along with several Black Lives Matter leaders.

Penny thanked the jury for their verdict in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I want to hug her. I would like to thank you. Yes definitely. It takes a lot of courage, especially in this climate in New York City, to stand up for myself,” he told The “Five” co-host Jeanine Pirro gave a preview during an exclusive interview that aired on Fox Nation on Wednesday.

The Marine veteran said if he were faced with the same situation on the subway, where someone was making threats and acting erratically, he would take action again.

“I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something about that situation and someone got hurt,” he said. “I would feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

Vance was one of the first politicians to express support for Penny after the verdict, saying he extended the original invitation to Penny for the suite on Saturday.

“Daniel is a good guy and the New York district attorney tried to ruin his life because he has a backbone,” Vance wrote on X on Friday. “I am grateful that he accepted my invitation and hope that he does he can have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”

Penny is still facing a lawsuit from Zachery, who accuses the 26-year-old of causing his son’s death through “negligence, carelessness and recklessness.” According to a copy of the lawsuit, Zachery is seeking unspecified damages for assault and battery.

Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage of Xand subscribe the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.