Saturday afternoon was marked by the 120th game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. The crowd expected fireworks on the field, following the tradition of recent games. However, one of the biggest moments came during the coin toss. President Donald Trump was on hand for the coin toss at Lincoln Financial Field, and he was greeted by an ovation from those in attendance.
According to USA Today, the president was on the field with representatives from both teams during the National Anthem. He walked to the sidelines and then waved at his supporters. He also stood on the sidelines with the Navy team as they ran onto the field.
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As it turns out, Trump also headed to the Army locker room. He reportedly shook hands with the players and was telling them to have a good game. The president also informed the players about his new policy that will allow those from service academies to play professionally before they serve their service commitments.
LISTEN: President Trump stands on the field for the national anthem before the Army-Navy football game. pic.twitter.com/CnUDk7JiJl
— The Hill (@thehill) December 14, 2019
“The last time I saw your coach, he said, ‘What about a waiver?’” Trump said to the Army players. “I said, ‘What are you talking about a waiver.’ He said some of these guys could play in the NFL, you could play for the Yankees, you could play for the Mets, you could play basketball, you could play whatever. But you have to serve a long time.
“And what we are doing now is you’ll go out and make a fortune and after you are all finished with your professional career you will go and you will serve. And everybody is thrilled. That means you can go out and do whatever you want. … So I want to congratulate you … So good luck to you.”
According to the report, Trump also told the Navy players that they needed to take care of business against the longstanding rival. The Midshipmen haven’t won a game since 2015, and he wanted to see that change on Saturday.
This is the third time that President Trump has appeared at the annual Army-Navy game. The first time was when he was the president-elect. There have been 10 sitting presidents to attend the game, and Trump has done so three separate times.
The president has been seen on the sidelines of multiple games this year, receiving mixed reactions. He was booed during an appearance at Game 5 of the World Series. Some baseball fans even hung up a banner calling for impeachment. Once he went to Alabama vs. LSU, however, the crowd greeted Trump with cheers of “USA” and a standing ovation.
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