Despite DNA Evidence and a Confession, Donald Trump Still Thinks Central Park Five Are Guilty
Trump Paid For Full-Page Ads Attacking Black and Hispanic Teens Wrongly Accused and Later Convicted in 1989 NYC Rape Case
In 1989 Donald Trump paid for full page ads in four different New York newspapers attacking the “Central Park Five” teenagers – four are Black and one is Hispanic – essentially insisting they receive the death penalty for the brutal rape of a 28-year old jogger.Â
“BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” the ads, costing Trump $85,000, read.
The full page ad that Trump took out in the NY Daily News after the Central Park attack pic.twitter.com/UIdHf4eQUV
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) October 7, 2016
“I want to hate these muggers and murderers,” Trump’s ad read. “They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes. They must serve as examples so that others will think long and hard before committing a crime or an act of violence.”
The five teens, none older than 16 at the time, after no sleep and a 43-hour police interrogation, confessed.
They were innocent.
Each served their full sentence, but 12 years after the attack DNA evidence and a confession from serial rapist Matias Reyes overturned their conviction. New York City paid them $41 million.
Donald Trump on Thursday told CNN he still thinks they’re guilty. At least one of the five men would like an apology:
CENTRAL PARK 5 NOT GUILTY >>> DONALD TRUMP !!!!! What YOU SAY, NOW???https://t.co/p27tFAEYxO
— C.W. Harris (@CWHarris2) October 7, 2016
“They admitted they were guilty,” Trump said in a statement to CNN’s Miguel Marquez, CNN reported Thursday.
“The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty,” Trump insisted, despite DNA evidence, and a confession by a serial rapist. “The fact that that case was settled with so much evidence against them is outrageous. And the woman, so badly injured, will never be the same.”
Some responses via Twitter:
Central Park 5, convicted in rape case, were cleared by DNA after yrs in prison. In Trump-world, theyre still guilty https://t.co/scooqZjnLI
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 6, 2016
The “Law & Order” candidate gives us yet another glimpse into his version of law. #Election2016 #millennials https://t.co/AAlV5jYMDB
— Scott (@Scottcrates) October 7, 2016
Donald Trump’s goal is apparently zero percent of the African-American votehttps://t.co/uUzGYXoTUr
— Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) October 7, 2016
Trump essentially called them guilty THIS WEEK. This is NOT law and order. It’s totalitarianism. https://t.co/DjnSRmds3b
— O. Alan Noble (@TheAlanNoble) October 7, 2016
DNA evidence exonerated the Central Park Five. NYC paid them $41 million settlement. Trump still won’t apologize. https://t.co/2QMOTPteAI
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 7, 2016
If you’re younger and unfamiliar with the Central Park 5 and Trump’s racist vendetta against them, here’s context https://t.co/YN6ys9ytgg
— Calvin (@calvinstowell) October 7, 2016
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Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC licenseÂ
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