Whoopi Goldberg led the liberal jeers for the acquittal verdict of Daniel Penny on Monday’s episode of The View, showing special contempt for the Marine’s choice to celebrate at a nearby bar.
The 26-year-old Marine veteran was facing charges of second degree manslaughter and negligent homicide following the subway death of mentally ill homeless street performer Jordan Neely.
Penny’s acquittal enraged BLM activists, who instantly called for revenge in the form of black vigilantes.
The 26-year-old quickly dashed to a downtown bar to celebrate his win with his lawyers and ponder his next move.
Goldberg took exception to this choice on Monday’s episode of the long-running ABC gabfest.
‘I don’t know that seeing them celebrating in a bar made me comfortable, you know,’ she began, adding, ‘I mean, you killed a guy. The man is dead and maybe just – you take the celebration home, you don’t do it outside. But that’s just me,’ the Oscar-winner said.
She, like many on the left, expressed empathy for Neely and the circumstances that led him to being on the subway that night.
‘And people are conflicted because he was an ill man and the more information we’re learning about him now – turns out his mom had been murdered and that may have been what set him off on his mental path.’
Whoopi Goldberg led the liberal jeers for the acquittal verdict of Daniel Penny on Monday’s episode of The View, showing special contempt for the Marine’s choice to celebrate at a nearby bar
The 26-year-old quickly dashed to a downtown bar to celebrate his win with his lawyers and ponder his next move
She assigned failure to multiple aspects of society in being responsible for his death.
‘There’s failure of the system… failure on the part of the courts, failure on the part of the hospitals, and failure on our part and how we deal with this.’
Co-host Sunny Hostin was angrier at Penny and those who suggested that Neely was a threat to those around him.
‘Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator – he talked about being hungry and thirsty, and he said he didn’t care if he lived or died. There is no evidence that he attacked anyone. There’s no evidence that he put his hands on anyone.’
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a more conservative panelist, said that Penny was not the villain of the piece and specified that they only said he wasn’t a threat ‘on that occasion.’
Hostin ultimately wondered: ‘When you look at that and you look at the result of what happened, my question is, where is our compassion as a society?’
Monday, jurors returned a verdict of not guilty to negligent homicide to Justice Maxwell Wiley.
They quickly found him not guilty – paving the way for his bright future full of book deals, TV appearances and even a career in politics.
The 26-year-old Marine veteran was facing charges of second degree manslaughter and negligent homicide following the subway death of mentally ill homeless street performer Jordan Neely (pictured)
Since the very beginning, Penny won sympathy from conservatives who said he was right to step in when Neely acted out on the subway.
Now, with the trial behind him and renewed support from the likes of the Trump family, Penny’s future is brighter than ever.
Industry experts believe Penny could be in for a windfall in excess of $1million after the criminal case against him concludes.
‘He could become a symbolic figure for a certain segment of society, opening doors to mainstream and conservative media alike,’ James Pipe is a legal expert and advocate at freegrantsforfelons.org, told Daily Mail.
Pipe noted a conviction would ‘necessarily preclude offers’ because publishers and producers are notoriously ‘drawn to controversial figures.’
He said a ‘compelling memoir or exclusive first interview’ could be worth up to $500,000, while a documentary or film deal could exceed $1million.
‘A significant factor will be how Penny and his team handle public relations after the trial.
‘If he can frame his story in a way that resonates with the public or aligns with ongoing social conversations, the financial opportunities could be transformative,’ Pipe said.
Penny celebrated the court victory at the Stone Street Tavern on Monday afternoon
‘However, backlash or boycotts from opposition groups could dampen prospects.’
Pipe said Penny would also need to consider civil lawsuits against him, and how any ‘post-trial earnings’ could be impacted by those suits.
‘Public scrutiny will likely follow him for years, which could affect the longevity of his public persona and his ability to secure deals long-term,’ he said.
Penny intervened when Neely jumped on the train and began threatening other commuters, including mothers, children and students. Neely was shouting that somebody would ‘die’ and that he was willing to ‘go back to Rikers.’
He placed Neely in a chokehold which the state argued lasted six minutes. His defense told jurors that he was not applying consistent pressure for the length of that time, and that he was simply restraining Neely until police arrived.
Conservatives have long offered support for Penny since the case gained widespread national attention and became a lightning rod for racial debate.
Vivek Ramaswamy donated $10,000 to Daniel Penny’s staggering legal fund, which has now reached $3million. He has also repeatedly spoken out about Neely’s lengthy rap sheet, accusing the Manhattan District Attorney’s office of sharing ‘responsibility for his death for creating an anti law enforcement culture.’
‘Habitual felons like Neely should not roam freely to terrorize and prey on innocent members of our communities,’ he said.
Neely, 30, was once among the city’s corps of subway and street performers and was known for his Michael Jackson impersonations
Penny also has the strong backing of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, sparking questions about if Penny would consider a tilt in politics himself, given he has access to two recent presidential candidates.
With the trial out of the way, Penny is also free to return his attention to his studies. When he was charged, he was studying architecture at the New York City College of Technology.
He was also working two jobs – one as a swim teacher and also at a restaurant in Brooklyn – which he gave up to focus on the trial.
He is also not completely out of the woods after Neely’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Penny last week. Penny’s legal team, Thomas Kenniff and Steven Raiser, released a statement Friday afternoon revealing they will immediately set their sights on the lawsuit.
The duo said the conclusion of the criminal trial would ‘allow us to focus on the civil lawsuit, filed two days ago, for the same allegations contained in the criminal indictment.’
Pipe said Penny would also need to consider civil lawsuits against him when he considers what his next step will be, because any ‘post-trial earnings’ could be impacted by those suits.
‘Public scrutiny will likely follow him for years, which could affect the longevity of his public persona and his ability to secure deals long-term,’ he said.
