President Donald Trump was showered with applause from Cadets and Midshipmen as he walked onto the field before the 126th installment of the Army-Navy football rivalry on a solemn Saturday in Baltimore.
The Commander In Chief greeted captains and handled the coin-toss duties, all while eager students shared their appreciation from the stands.
Trump’s appearance came after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed and another three soldiers were injured during an ISIS attack against American forces in Syria.
‘We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter,’ Trump wrote on social media earlier in the day.
‘Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well. This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’
Security was on high alert at M&T Bank Stadium, where rooftop snipers were seen above the crowds on Saturday.
Trump walks onto the field for Army-Navy Game between the Black Knights and Midshipmen
President Donald Trump takes part in the ceremonial coin toss before the start of the game
Midshipmen are seen taking photos of President Trump with their cell phones on Saturday
Trump’s reception in Baltimore wasn’t entirely friendly.
A group called the Protect Democracy Project posted several billboard ads urging a responsible deployment of American troops.
‘Respect the military,’ one add began. ‘Respect the mission. Deploy troops responsibly.’
The ads echo recent controversial statements by several Democratic lawmakers, who encouraged US troops to reject unlawful orders. Trump has faced criticism for a series of military actions in the waters off Venezuela as well as his decision to deploy the National Guard in American cities.
Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was joined by her husband Nicholas Riccio.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and her husband Nicholas Riccio take a selfie
President Donald Trump stands on the field after the National Anthem on Saturday
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stands on the sidelines before the start of the NCAA college football game between Army and Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday
Cadets packed the M&T Bank Stadium stands on Saturday for the rivalry game with Navy
Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs from the South Lawn before the game
The Army Corp of Cadets march before the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Army West Point Black Knights on Saturday in Baltimore
Cadets of the Navy Midshipmen march on the field prior to the 126th edition of the rivalry
An Army Cadet smiles at passing Midshipmen before Saturday’s game in Baltimore
Saturday marks the sixth time Trump has attended an Army-Navy football game as either Commander in Chief or President-elect.
Although that tradition dates back to Theodore Roosevelt and later Harry S. Truman, Trump has made the 135-year-old rivalry a priority for the White House once again after predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined to attend just one Army-Navy game between their combined 12 years in office.
Trump was well received at his previous six trips to the rivalry game in Philadelphia, West Point and Landover, Maryland. Not only has he handled pre-game coin toss ceremony honors, but he’s also made attempts to interact with the crowd by pumping his fists and waving at the students.
He was coming off a dramatic electoral victory over Kamala Harris when he attended the 2024 Army-Navy game with then-Vice President-elect JD Vance and Pete Hegseth, the latter of whom was facing a brutal confirmation process to become Secretary of Defense at the time.
Unlike 2024, POTUS was not joined by donor Elon Musk on Saturday amid the pair’s fallout over electric vehicle tax credits and the Tesla CEO’s attempts to implicate Trump in late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious sex crimes.
Trump joins cadets during the Army-Navy football game at Michie Stadium in 2020
Cadets from the U.S. Military Academy fly a banner depicting President-elect Donald Trump prior to the game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Nights in 2016
Trump is pictured alongside donor Elon Musk and Vice President-elect at the 2024 game
As for his own rooting interest, Trump has never revealed any favoritism towards the Black Knights or Midshipmen and has no personal or familial connection to either branch of the military.
Army (6-5) and No. 22 Navy (9-2) entered Saturday’s game in far different places than they did a year ago, when the Black Knights were No. 19 in the country.
Unfortunately for Army and head coach Jeff Monken, their rare status as ‘favorite’ couldn’t prevent a 31-13 Navy win as the Midshipmen came away with another Commander-in-Chief Trophy.
And by beating Air Force, 34-31, earlier this season, Navy was in position to capture an 18th Commander-in-Chief Trophy with a win over Army.