Baltimore, Maryland; December 15th, 2025
President Donald J. Trump attended the 126th Army-Navy football game on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, joining Cadets, Midshipmen, service members, and tens of thousands of spectators for one of the nation’s most enduring collegiate sporting traditions, an event that concluded with the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen defeating the United States Military Academy Black Knights by a final score of 17–16, according to official athletic records and a release issued by THE WHITE HOUSE.
The White House confirmed that President Trump’s appearance marked his sixth attendance at the Army-Navy Game during his public life, and that he participated in several ceremonial aspects of the event, including the pregame coin toss on the field. The president also stood alongside service members during the national anthem and the accompanying military flyover, as outlined in the official statement released by THE WHITE HOUSE.
The Army-Navy Game, played annually between the nation’s two oldest federal service academies, is widely regarded as a fixture of American sporting culture. While the full historical record of the rivalry is drawn from secondary historical compilations, it is broadly recognized that the series dates to the late 19th century and has been contested for more than a century, with each meeting serving as a symbolic extension of military tradition, discipline, and institutional pride.
Saturday’s contest unfolded as a tightly contested affair shaped by ground-based offenses, field position battles, and situational execution. Official box scores and athletic department records document an attendance of 70,936 spectators, filling the stadium with a crowd composed of Cadets, Midshipmen, alumni, veterans, families, and civilian supporters.
Navy opened the scoring early in the game, assembling a methodical drive on its opening possession and finishing with a short rushing touchdown that established a 7–0 lead in the first quarter. Army responded before halftime, mounting sustained drives that resulted in a rushing touchdown and multiple field goals, allowing the Black Knights to carry a 13–7 advantage into the halftime break, as reflected in official scoring summaries.
The third quarter continued in a similar tactical pattern. Army extended its lead to 16–7 with an additional field goal, while Navy’s defense limited further damage by forcing stops and keeping the deficit within reach. Both teams relied heavily on disciplined rushing attacks and clock management, producing a contest defined by incremental gains rather than explosive scoring.
The decisive sequence arrived in the fourth quarter. With time winding down and Navy trailing by 9 points, the Midshipmen engineered a sustained drive that culminated in a fourth-and-goal situation from the 8-yard line. Official play-by-play records show that Navy quarterback Blake Horvath connected with Eli Heidenreich on an 8-yard touchdown pass with just over 6 minutes remaining, bringing Navy within one point before a successful conversion gave the Midshipmen a 17–16 lead, which would stand as the final score.
Horvath’s performance proved central to the outcome. According to official statistics, he recorded 34 rushing attempts for 107 yards and a rushing touchdown, while also delivering the decisive passing score in the closing minutes. His dual-threat role placed sustained pressure on Army’s defense and allowed Navy to control possession during critical stretches of the second half.
Army, for its part, maintained offensive consistency throughout much of the game, converting early drives into points and forcing Navy to remain within striking distance. Athletic records indicate that the Black Knights generated multiple long possessions and held the lead for much of the contest before Navy’s late surge altered the outcome.
As the final minutes expired, Navy preserved its narrow advantage, sealing the 17–16 victory and adding another entry to the long-running series between the two academies. Secondary historical summaries indicate that the result extended Navy’s overall lead in the rivalry and contributed to the Midshipmen securing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the season, an award determined by head-to-head results among Army, Navy, and Air Force. This rivalry context is derived from secondary historical reporting and is included strictly for background.
President Trump’s presence at the game underscored the national prominence of the Army-Navy matchup, which regularly draws attendance from senior military leadership, elected officials, and alumni from across the country. According to THE WHITE HOUSE, the president’s participation focused on ceremonial observance and recognition of service members rather than commentary on the contest itself.
The 126th Army-Navy Game concluded as many before it have: with a close score, disciplined play, and a setting defined as much by tradition and symbolism as by the final result on the scoreboard. While the rivalry’s broader legacy continues to be chronicled through historical record, Saturday’s meeting now stands as a documented chapter marked by Navy’s late comeback and the presence of the nation’s Commander-in-Chief.
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Sources
Primary First-Hand Sources
- THE WHITE HOUSE, official release titled “President Trump Attends 126th Army-Navy Game,” December 15th, 2025
- United States Naval Academy Athletics, official box score and game statistics for the 126th Army-Navy Game
- United States Military Academy Athletics, official game recap and scoring summary for the 126th Army-Navy Game
- American Athletic Conference, official football box score records for Army vs. Navy
Secondary Attribution-Based Sources
- Historical summaries of the Army-Navy rivalry series
- Secondary reporting regarding Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outcomes
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