Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the case of Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old Marine who was charged in the subway death of Jordan Neely, in an interview with The Messenger published Monday.
Penny placed Neely in a chokehold after he shouted threats at passengers, and Neely was later pronounced dead in the hospital. Trump told the outlet that Penny and other subway passengers seemed to have been in serious danger, but declined to make a definitive statement on whether Penny had acted as a good Samaritan, saying he hadn’t seen footage of the incident himself. (RELATED: ‘Struck a Chord’: Donations For Daniel Penny Near $2 Million)
“Well, I think he was in great danger and the other people in the car were in great danger,” he told The Messenger. “I haven’t seen the tape. But I think he was in danger. And it sounded like the other people in the car were in danger. And it also looks like this man [who was killed] was arrested over 40 times and had lots of problems.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 12: Daniel Penny leaves the Criminal Court of Manhattan after his arraignment on May 12, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Penny a “Good Samaritan” and endorsed a fundraiser for his legal defense. The Messenger had asked Trump if he agreed with DeSantis’ assessment.
“I haven’t seen the tapes. I won’t make a definitive [statement] but it looks to me like the people in that car were in great danger,” Trump said.
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