Navy midshipmen and Army cadets greeted President Trump with cheers and chants of “USA! USA!” Saturday as he emerged onto the turf of Michie Stadium at West Point for the 121st annual Army-Navy football game — in all likelihood his last as the players’ commander-in-chief.
The storied match-up, normally held in Philadelphia’s cavernous Lincoln Financial Field, this year moved to the US Military Academy’s much cozier gridiron due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With only the 9,000 students of the two schools in attendance and a heavy fog hovering over the stadium, the roar for Trump was more muted this year than the waves of ovations he received at last year’s game.
But they put on a lively show for Trump as he attended the third Army-Navy game of his term. Midshipmen from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis jumped energetically to catch sight of him as he walked to the 50-yard line for the ceremonial coin toss, which Navy won. West Point cadets showed off their matching face masks, all emblazoned with “Beat Navy” messages.
Trump pumped his fist and turned to applaud the students as he left the tunnel to take the field for the National Anthem and the ceremonial coin toss — which Navy, calling tails, won.
A formation of Blue Angels and Apache helicopters could be heard as they flew overhead – but were barely discernible through the thick cover of mist.
Earlier, about a dozen supporters were on hand at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, NY to cheer Trump as he landed there with chants of “Don’t give up, don’t give up” — just two days before Monday’s Electoral College vote that will seal Joe Biden’s confirmation as president-elect.