Daniel Penny Sends a Scathing Message to Leftist City Leaders in Fox News Interview

Just one day after being acquitted in a high-profile trial where he chose not to testify, Daniel Penny has broken his silence.

The Marine veteran, who had faced the possibility of 15 years behind bars following charges stemming from the death of a mentally unstable man during a subway altercation in New York in 2023, spoke in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro.

While his remarks are unlikely to sit well with progressive figures like Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Penny’s supporters are celebrating his words.

Below are excerpts from the interview, which is available in full to Fox Nation subscribers:

Now 26, Penny was acquitted Monday of criminally negligent homicide in the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely, who died during a subway confrontation in May 2023. Earlier, on Friday, the judge presiding over the case dismissed a manslaughter charge after the jury declared itself deadlocked.

Though Penny refrained from testifying during the trial, he explained to Pirro why he restrained Neely with a chokehold: it was to protect others on the train.

Witnesses told authorities that Neely, who had an extensive history of arrests and violence—including an active assault warrant—was making threatening statements and acting aggressively before Penny intervened.

“The guilt I would have felt if someone got hurt, if he had followed through on those threats, would have been unbearable,” Penny told Pirro.

“I’ll take a million court hearings and endure being called names or hated, just to prevent one person from being harmed or killed,” he added.

The interview quickly garnered widespread praise across social media platforms.

Interestingly, Penny did not focus blame for the tragic incident solely on Neely. Instead, he pointed fingers at New York policymakers, accusing them of fostering an environment where crime has spiraled—while targeting him for what he described as “political advantage.”

“These are their policies,” Penny stated. “And I’m not trying to get political, I don’t want enemies—although I guess I have plenty now—but these policies have obviously failed.”

He continued, “The general public doesn’t support them, yet their egos prevent them from admitting they’re wrong.”

It was a powerful critique, one likely to resonate with many Americans.

On Monday, however, it was the jury’s verdict that truly mattered, and it delivered the ultimate statement.