Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “Those aren’t politics,” he said, looking at the Trump flag that waved next to his Hegseth one.
“They’re just supporting the next president and secretary of defense.” As Roohan and others tailgated before the game, Trump made news mid-flight from Palm Beach, Florida.
Ron DeSantis (R) attended the game, but it’s unclear whether he visited Trump’s box or met with the president-elect.
DeSantis has also spoken to Trump about the defense secretary job should Hegseth not be confirmed.
Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Trump also spoke with Gen. Charles Q.
Gregg Holgate voted for Donald Trump in all three elections, but he didn’t care that the president-elect would be just a few yards away today.
Holgate was obsessed with homemade meatballs, white bean chicken chili, his wife, and a friend from his Army days who he now only sees twice a year here in Lot E at Northwest Stadium.
Holgate, 56, said, “I couldn’t tell you a word about anyone’s politics here.”. We discuss football, children, and anecdotes from two decades ago. “.”.
The 125th edition of the legendary Army-Navy game promised a break from anything contentious or tense for many of the 60,726 people who were expected to attend on Saturday. High school sports teams’ names, not those of politicians, were written on bumper stickers. It’s not administration picks that form bets, but cornhole. Among tailgaters, the only distinction was between military branches. Even so, participants would remind each other that they were all on the same team.
As he watched his friend flip hamburgers, Mike Schroeder, 57, a former Navy F-14 pilot, told a Washington Post reporter, “I’m surprised you are asking me about politics to be honest.”. This is a game of college football. “.”.
Although tens of thousands of people attended the stadium as supporters rather than voters, Trump’s eye-catching guest list made politics the main attraction. Among his guests was former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, the beleaguered choice to lead a military he has criticized as “woke” and ineffectual. “.”.
By bringing social and personnel issues within the military—historically one of the most diverse institutions in the country—to the forefront, Hegseth and other self-styled changemakers demonstrated Trump’s intention to fulfill campaign promises to “strengthen and modernize our military.”. Given that Hegseth is a veteran of the National Guard with tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, some Republicans and Democrats have questioned whether he would stand up for and defend everyone in uniform.
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Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault and binge drinking, both of which he denies. He has voiced his disapproval of women serving in combat units in interviews, claiming that dismissing officials accused of participating in diversity programs would help combat what he called “socially correct garbage” in the military.
However, even among Trump and his nominees’ most devoted supporters, the game was far superior to the show inside the president-elect’s box.
From his Ford Expedition, Bill Roohan, 66, drove from Baltimore waving a giant “Pete Hegseth Secretary of Defense” flag, saying “politics shouldn’t cloud” the game.
Roohan, who works in real estate, cared more about the Midshipmen on Saturday, even though he agrees with Hegseth that the military has become “too woke” and that it is important to consider “biological differences between men and women” when choosing who should serve on the front lines.
He pointed to the Trump flag that was flying next to his Hegseth one and remarked, “Those aren’t politics.”. “All they’re doing is backing the incoming president and defense secretary.”. “.”.
Before the game, Trump made headlines while flying from Palm Beach, Florida, where Roohan and other fans were tailgating.
A photo of the former governor of New Jersey was shared on social media by him. In an apparent reference to lawmakers’ outcry over mysterious drone activity in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, Chris Christie, who ran for president last year in an attempt to keep Trump out of office, is seen eating McDonald’s while drones fly in the background. (The U. S. On Saturday, the Maryland attorney’s office declared a temporary ban on drones operating within the stadium while the game was in progress. ().
Trump then announced a number of his nominees for his next administration on Truth Social, including David Nunes, a former Republican congressman who currently serves as the platform’s chairman, to be the president’s Intelligence Advisory Board chairman.
The president-elect landed fifteen minutes prior to kickoff and headed to his box, where he joined Kash Patel, his choice to head the FBI; Tulsi Gabbard, who is facing a difficult path to confirmation as director of national intelligence; and Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his choices to reshape the federal workforce. Other Trump guests included incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).
Daniel Penny, an architecture student and Marine Corps veteran who was acquitted this week of the chokehold death of subway performer Jordan Neely on a New York train in May 2023—in which passengers claimed Neely had been yelling and acting aggressively—was brought by vice president-elect JD Vance.
The case became a political hot spot for New York’s treatment of mental health issues and homelessness; some claimed it exposed the general unease about homelessness, while many conservatives hailed Perry as a hero for fighting crime as a citizen.
There was a lengthy conversation between Trump, Vance, Johnson, and Thune. Then, with Johnson’s back to the game, they took seats next to each other. Trump’s congressional agenda, which includes significant bills pertaining to immigration, energy production, and extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts, will be greatly advanced by Thune and Johnson in the coming year.
Florida Gov. Although Ron DeSantis (R) was present at the game, it is unknown if he met with the president-elect or went to Trump’s box. Trump wants DeSantis to name Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, to hold a Senate seat that is anticipated to become vacant due to Sen. Trump has selected Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state. If Hegseth is not confirmed, DeSantis has also discussed the defense secretary position with Trump.
Trump spoke with Gen. Charles Qu. Brown, Jr. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior military leader who answers directly to the defense secretary and president. On social media, one of Trump’s press aides brought attention to the exchange in a post that seemed harmless but could have important implications.
Brown, an Air Force fighter pilot, was chosen by Trump in 2020 to become the first African American to lead a branch of government. However, the general has since come under fire from Republicans for backing the Defense Department’s diversity initiatives.
Shortly before he was nominated, Hegseth proposed firing Brown and other senior military officials due to “wokeness” in the military.
Mississippi native Rob McMurray, 67, said he was “glad” to see Trump, whom he believes has “strength” and focuses on “American security and the economy.”. “.”.
In general, McMurray, a doctor at VA hospitals, approves of the president-elect’s actions since November, including designating Hegseth as his defense secretary and requiring Musk and businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to do in-person appointments.
In addition, he has largely given up watching cable TV. McMurray claimed that he takes a lengthy vacation from watching CNN and Fox News after every presidential election cycle.
Right now, he doesn’t think getting engaged is necessary. His gaze was instead fixed on the stadium. He was hoping for a good game.
Gene Wang, Hannah Knowles, and Dan Lamothe all contributed to this report.
