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Trump expected to attend Saturday’s Army-Navy game alongside key allies, nominees and Daniel Penny
President-elect Donald Trump will huddle with allies and a Republican cause célèbre at Saturday’s Army-Navy football game, a chance to take in one of most stories rivalries in college sports while spotlighting his emerging national security team.
Trump is expected to be joined by Vice President-elect JD Vance, embattled Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, potential backup defense option Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others for the 125th matchup between service academies. Elon Musk is also expected to attend.
Also planning to attend is Daniel Penny, a military veteran who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide this week in the chokehold death of an agitated subway rider in New York. Penny was invited by Vance, who accused prosecutors of trying to “ruin” Penny’s life by charging the Marine veteran in the death of Jordan Neely in 2023.
Trump, who attended Army-Navy games as president-elect in 2016 and during his first terms, has been making an increasing number of public appearances before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. He was accompanied by his family and Vance on Thursday as he rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized as Time magazine’s person of the year.
Trump spent the weeks after the Nov. 5 election holed up at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida assembling a team to help lead his next administration. He and his aides have become bullish about Hegseth’s chances of winning Senate confirmation. The Army combat veteran and former Fox News host’s chances of becoming defense secretary had appeared in peril amid allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat.
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DeSantis, a former Navy lawyer who competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, is among the possible replacement candidates Trump has considered if Hegseth’s bid fizzles.
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said Friday in a Newsmax interview that Hegseth has “made it through the gauntlet.” Miller predicted Hegseth will be confirmed.
“This is someone who’s literally been shot at on the battlefield,” Miller added. “That’s the type of person who I want leading the (Department of Defense) because as we make these decisions about whether or not to put American troops into harm’s way, I want someone who knows at a personal level what that’s like before you go and send some young man or young woman into battle.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is also expected to attend the game and bring with him a contingent of other GOP lawmakers vying for face time with the incoming president weeks before Republicans take control of the three branches of the federal government.
Johnson said he intends to discuss with Trump plans for a legislative package that could move through Congress next year with a simple majority in the face of expected Democratic opposition.
Vance said Friday that Penny, a fellow Marine veteran, had accepted his invitation to be in Trump’s suite on the Army side. Penny was cleared of criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death after a judge had dismissed a more serious manslaughter charge last week because the jury deadlocked on that count.
The case was a flashpoint in the long-standing debates over racial justice and as well as failures by New York City to address homelessness and mental illness, both of which Neely had struggled with.
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance said in a post on X. “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.”
Hegseth planned to be in a suite with some Medal of Honor recipients, according to a person familiar with Hegseth’s schedule.
Trump’s picks for Navy secretary, John Phelan, a businessman who never served in the military, and for Army secretary, Dan Driscoll, an Iraq War veteran and former senior adviser to Vance, also are expected to attend, said the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss those details and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Kickoff is after 3 p.m. EST at Northwest Stadium, home to the NFL’s Washington Commanders, in Landover, Maryland.
Governor Wes Moore proclaimed Dec. 14, 2024, as Army vs. Navy Game Day in Maryland.
“Today is not just about one of the greatest rivalries in college sports – It’s about what brings us together. I am proud to be part of the long tradition of service that defines our state and our country; one that transcends background, ideology, race, and family history,” said Moore.
Army (11-1) is ranked 19th in The Associated Press Top 25 after beating Tulane on Dec. 6 to win the American Athletic Conference — the first league title of any kind in the team’s 134-year history. Navy (8-3) was ranked earlier this season after starting with six straight victories.
The Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights have faced each other on the football field every year since 1930, including when the United States was fighting in World War II.
Winslow Townson / AP
Army will pay tributes to soldiers who fought in a pivotal battle 80 years ago that occurred as Adolf Hitler launched a last-ditch effort to push back American and Allied forces in Europe. The Army’s 101st Airborne was among the units that fought Axis troops amid freezing weather.
Now, Army’s Black Knights are hoping to honor that dogged determination on the field today. Their uniforms on the field are inspired by the snow and trees the soldiers were surrounded by, and reflect the tenacity of the soldiers, who refused to surrender and were able to fight off the enemy.
Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish clothing retailer Mango, one of Europe’s largest fashion groups with nearly 2,800 stores worldwide, died Saturday in an accident, the company said.
Photo by Foc Kan/WireImage via Getty
“It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive chairman and founder of Mango,” the Barcelona-based company’s CEO, Toni Ruiz, said in a statement.
“Isak has been an example for all of us. He dedicated his life to Mango, leaving an indelible mark thanks to his strategic vision, his inspiring leadership and his unwavering commitment to values that he himself imbued in our company,” he added.
The company did not provide further details about the accident. Spanish media said the 71-year-old died after falling while hiking with several members of his family near Barcelona.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on social media, “My condolences to the family of Isak Andic, founder of Mango, on his tragic death in an accident in the Salnitre de Collbató caves.” He added, “All my love and recognition for your great work and business vision, which has turned this Spanish firm into a world leader in fashion.”
Mango traces its origins to 1984, when Andic, who is of Turkish origin, opened his first shop on the Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona’s famous shopping street, with the help of his older brother Nahman.
It was hugely successful. Spain had just emerged from a decades-long dictatorship that ended with the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975, and consumers were hungry for more modern clothes.
“His departure leaves a huge void, but we are all, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements. It is up to us, and this is the best tribute we can make to Isak and which we will fulfill, to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak aspired to and of which he would be proud,” Ruiz said.
Mango has consolidated its position as one of the leading international fashion groups, with a major presence in more than 120 markets and 15,500 employees worldwide, according to its website.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi underwent a successful hip transplant after being hospitalized during a trip to Luxembourg, her office said Saturday.
“Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The operation was conducted at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base in Germany.
The spokesperson added, “Speaker Pelosi is grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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1 person killed at U.S. Army base in Georgia in what authorities say appears to be an “isolated” incident
A U.S. Army installation in Georgia was locked down Saturday after a person was shot and killed in what base authorities described as an isolated incident.
The shooter was apprehended and taken into custody, and an “all clear” was given around 9:45 a.m. local time, less than an hour after Fort Eisenhower went into lockdown, the installation’s operations center said on social media.
The shooting took place at housing located on the base, which is located outside Augusta, Georgia, authorities said.
“The incident appears to be isolated,” according to a Facebook post on Saturday from Fort Eisenhower.
Information about the victim will not be released until their family has been notified, according to the base. No further details were released.
“Fort Eisenhower is actively supporting the victim’s family and assistance will be available to anyone impacted by this tragedy,” the installation said on Facebook.
Fort Eisenhower issued the alert on social media Saturday morning with a “LOCK DOWN! LOCK DOWN!” message. “Execute lock down procedures on the installation immediately! If you are in danger take appropriate action,” the message said.
A short time later, the operations center said the threat had passed and that normal operations could resume. However, the base canceled activities related to the afternoon’s Army-Navy football game, which was being played outside Washington.
The base’s public affairs officer, a spokesperson for the base’s medical center and a spokesperson for the nearby Richmond County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately return phone calls.
Formerly named Fort Gordon, the installation is home to the United States Army Cyber Command.