Thoughts on Trump & Vance Welcoming Daniel Penny at the Army-Navy Game

Following Daniel Penny's acquittal of killing Jordan Neely last week, I made the following observation:

The New York Post is celebrating Penny's acquittal while accusing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg of politicizing the case. Last I checked, Ron DeSantis referred to Penny as a "Good Samaritan" while Nikki Haley said Penny should have received a pardon. Who exactly is doing the politicizing here? 

Let me put it another way. Would anyone be surprised if Penny gets an audience with President-elect Trump?

Well, sure enough, Daniel Penny was in the company of both President-elect Trump and Vice-President-elect Vance at the Army-Navy game. It was Vance who invited Penny to the game. Penny not only enjoyed the company of Trump and Vance but of Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, soon to be Senate Majority leader John Thune and Pennsylvania Senator-elect David McCormick among others.

Some of Trump's supporters on social media called for Penny to bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For his part, Vance heaped praise upon Penny:

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 his fellow citizens admire his courage.

I find none of Daniel Penny's actions to courageous. While Jordan Neely uttered threats, he did not have a weapon, nor did he physically attack anyone. The situation called for de-escalation. Instead, Daniel Penny escalated the situation and took the life of another human being. Now he is being celebrated and rewarded for his actions at the highest levels of power. 

This gives an extraordinary incentive for others to engage in similar manner in the hope of receiving similar prestige and recognition. Just ask Kyle Rittenhouse or members of the January 6th mob who can soon look forward to their presidential pardons.

Let me put it another way. Would Trump have given Rittenhouse a second thought if he hadn't killed people who supported Black Lives Matters? Would Vance have issued Penny an invitation if he hadn't killed a homeless black man? 

In which case, the January 6thers can expect a monument on The Ellipse or perhaps a round of golf near Mar-a-Lago.