The annual Army-Navy gridiron matchup never fails to bring the sort of pomp and circumstance for which military academies are well-known, but this year's spectacle was one for the history books.

Saturday's clash between the Black Knights and the Midshipmen included a parade of high-profile political and business figures who joined President-elect Donald Trump, including Vice-President-elect JD Vance, Defense secretary hopeful Pete Hegseth, and Marine veteran Daniel Penny, as Fox News reports.

Luminaries in Landover

Marking the 125^th meeting of the service academies on the football field, the day brought a host of well-known names to Northwest Stadium, many of whom are close allies of Trump.

As CBS News notes, those gathered in a private box with the president-elect included key members of his prospective new national security team, such as Hegseth, DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson, incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, and many more.

Also on hand were tech billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk, tapped to co-lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency and Penny, the former Marine who was recently acquitted in the subway death of Jordan Neely.

When the massive crowd was alerted to Trump's presence in the box, a rousing chant of “USA, USA!” took hold, as the Associated Press reported, underscoring the patriotic nature of the day.

In the end, Navy's side prevailed, thanks in large part to a stellar performance from quarterback Blake Horvath, bringing his team's record to 9-3 on the season.

Biden's absence spurs critiques

Despite his self-declared status as a sports fan and former football player, President Joe Biden has not attended a single Army-Navy game since taking office, something that has sparked unflattering commentary, as yet another year passed without him making an appearance.

As the Daily Mail noted, Biden's absence on Saturday was all the more conspicuous, given that the venue for the game was in relatively close proximity to the White House.

One particularly disgruntled X user wrote, “I'm a Dem. I supported Biden. I'm part of a Navy family. I will never understand why Biden did not go to Army/Navy game last year and why he is not going this year. He apparently is a weak leader without an understanding of the pulse of the nation.”

Another lamented, “If anybody did not know, Joe Biden has never attended the Army Navy traditional football game like most presidents do. That is because he's too weak to[o] incompetent doesn't know what day it is and just plain stupid.”

Other observers speculated that Biden's no-show status was simply borne out of his desire to avoid being booed.

Show of Strength

The forceful presence of the large Trump-linked contingent spoke volumes about the president-elect's loyalty to nominees who have had a bumpy road to confirmation thus far, particularly Hegseth, who continues to hold discussions with senators who may still be on the fence about his candidacy.

Whether every member of Trump's desired team will make their way into the administration in the end is something that remains to be seen, but if the crowd's reaction on Saturday is any indication, large numbers of Americans hope that is exactly what occurs.