On December 13, U.S. President Donald Trump attended the football game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights at a stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The two teams represent the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy, one of the oldest and most storied rivalries in American sports.
Before the game began, President Trump walked onto the field, shaking hands with the players amid cheers from a packed stadium. The referee handed the U.S. president a coin and invited him to toss it, a standard pre-game procedure used to determine which team receives the opening possession. Instead of placing the coin on his thumb and flipping it in the usual manner, Mr. Trump placed the coin in his palm and tossed it upward. The coin landed showing tails, giving the Army Black Knights the right to receive the opening kickoff.
👉Funny Football Parody Shirt – Make American Football Great Again USA Flag Classic T-Shirt
“Donald Trump just delivered the worst coin toss in history,” former congressional candidate Hal Stewart commented. Sports journalist Clay Travis remarked that the coin “didn’t spin at all,” while others suggested the U.S. president appeared not to know how to properly toss a coin.
However, some social media users defended President Trump. “Everyone is losing their minds over this,” one account wrote.
“Do you see the energy Trump brings? ‘Sleepy Joe’ could never do that,” another user commented, referring to the nickname Mr. Trump uses for his predecessor, Joe Biden.
U.S. media reported that this was the sixth time President Trump had attended the annual game between the two military academies. He had previously sparked controversy with a similar coin-tossing style during seasons in his first term.
During halftime, Mr. Trump went down to speak with both teams. At that point, the Army Black Knights were leading 13–7. The Navy Midshipmen later mounted a comeback and won the game 17–16.