Daniel Penny, the former Marine who was charged but acquitted for killing Jordan Neely, a black homeless man, on a New York City subway, joined President-elect Donald Trump and his entourage at the Army Game on Saturday and Marine in Spotlight Landover, Maryland.

Penny, who has received praise and ridicule from others in conservative circles for his actions in May 2023, was seen chatting with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who invited the 25-year-old to the game.

He did not speak to the press.

Trump, who attended the same game after his 2016 election victory, gave no speeches but saluted during the national anthem and waved his fist at the crowd.

In addition to the president and vice president-elect, Penny was joined by Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense; former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence; Speaker of the House Mike Johnson; New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Pennsylvania Senator-elect David McCormick and Elon Musk at the game.

Penny’s invitation came days after a Manhattan jury acquitted him of charges stemming from the May 1, 2023 F train incident. Neely, who was homeless at the time, boarded a subway car at the Second Avenue stop and was described by witnesses as screaming and moving erratically as Penny put Neely in a chokehold for what prosecutors said was six minutes lasted a long time, according to officials.

Part of the incident was captured on video.

The city’s medical examiner concluded that Penny’s chokehold killed Neely and concluded that he died of compression of the neck.

Neely, a 30-year-old former street performer who later posed as Michael Jackson, had a history of homelessness and schizophrenia.

According to police, he was convicted of assaulting people in subway stations. However, passengers on the train the day Neely died said he did not touch anyone during the incident.

However, according to investigators, Neely had expressed his willingness to die or even kill himself while riding on the train.

Penny was charged with manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter but received praise from some conservative leaders, right-wing media pundits and others for what they considered an act of self-defense.

“Daniel is a good guy and the New York Mafia District Attorney tried to ruin his life because he has a backbone,” Vance posted on X this week.

However, others criticized the former Marine for taking the life of a homeless black man in need of psychiatric help.

Jurors in Manhattan deliberated 24 hours for five days and deadlocked on the involuntary manslaughter charge, which carried a 15-year prison sentence, forcing the judge to drop the charge. On Monday, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.

In an interview with Fox Nation, Penny described herself as “vulnerable.”

“He just threatened to kill people,” Penny told host Jeanine Pirro of Neely. “He was threatened with going to prison forever, for the rest of his life.”

Penny was named in a lawsuit filed by Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, for negligent assault, battery and battery that resulted in Neely’s death.

“I promised justice to this family — that’s what we will continue to do,” Donte Mills, the attorney representing Zachery, said after Penny’s sentencing. “The district attorney did a good job, but the jury failed us in this case.”