President Donald Trump managed to turn a routine pregame formality into a talking point before Saturday’s Army–Navy Game, thanks to a coin toss that looked nothing like a coin toss.
Asked to perform the traditional duty at M&T Bank Stadium, Trump accepted the coin, placed it in his palm, and gently heaved it forward.
There was little spin, almost no flip, and a brief pause as officials confirmed where it had landed. Tails was called correctly by Army, who deferred to the second half, and the game moved on without issue.
Donald Trump botches coin flip
It was a harmless moment, but one that quickly became a social media talking point.
Social media reacted quickly to the moment, with several users noting that the coin appeared to rotate in the air barely.
“President Trump with the unprecedented coin toss that doesn’t appear to flip at all,” wrote author and radio host Clay Travis.
Another observer posted: “Literally threw the coin in the air instead of flipping it.”
Another comment read: “Whether you’re left or right… We can all agree that was not a good coin toss.”
Trump himself did not address the moment directly. When asked pregame which side he was supporting, he brushed the question aside.
“You must be joking if you think I’m going to give you that answer,” he said.
Tradition of Army vs Navy game
The coin toss carries extra weight at Army–Navy because of the occasion itself.
First played in 1890, the Army–Navy Game is one of the longest-running rivalries in American Football. It stands alone on the college football calendar, staged after the regular season with no competing games.
Cadet marches, flyovers, and military pageantry surround the kickoff. The postgame singing of alma maters remains one of the sport’s most respected traditions.
Presidents have long played a role. Theodore Roosevelt attended the game in 1901, beginning a custom that has seen sitting presidents take part in various ceremonies over the decades.
Saturday marked Trump’s sixth appearance at the rivalry. Few modern presidents have attended as frequently.
Navy edged out a narrow 17–16 win over Army in a tense, low-scoring contest. The margin continued a series of tight finishes in recent years.
