DIY VIRAL
Donald Trump may not have to worry about his sentence, but he's still waging a legal battle against the five exonerees and defending claims that the Central Park jogger, while still alive, was “virtually dead.”
Source: Scott Olson/Taylor Hill/Getty
TIn his time, Trump faces a new lawsuit from the Exonerated Five, nicknamed the Central Park Five during the time he publicly called for their execution when they were teenagers. The president-elect says his controversial remarks about the five men falsely accused in 1989 of raping a jogger in Central Park were “substantially true.”
But his reasoning leaves many perplexed.
Trump's defamation defense: 'substantially true' or substantially problematic?
The lawsuit focuses on comments Trump made during the closely watched presidential debate on September 10, 2024. According to Law & Crime, Trump responded to criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris over his infamous 1989 full-page ad calling for the execution of the Central Park Five by doubling down on his past rhetoric.
During the debate, Harris criticized Trump for using race to divide America and highlighted his actions against five innocent Black and Latino teenagers. Trump's response:
“They admitted – they said they pleaded guilty. They seriously injured someone, eventually killed him… but now they say they are not guilty.
Fast forward to now, and Trump's legal team is arguing that his statements were not defamatory because they were “substantially true.” According to Law & Crime, court documents filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claim the plaintiffs take his comments out of context and distort them to build their case.
Imagine if we had fact checkers!
The five exonerees fight back: “patently false” assertions
Source: Kevin Winter/Getty
The plaintiffs, now men in their 40s and 50s, say Trump's statements during the debate were patently false. In Law & Crime, the lawsuit states:
“The plaintiffs never pleaded guilty to any crime and were later cleared of any wrongdoing. »
Additionally, they point out that Patricia Meili, the jogger attacked that night in Central Park, survived her injuries and is still alive today.
The group, comprised of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam, also detailed how their wrongful convictions were based on confessions obtained under duress.
Reported by Law & Crime, the trial also proves this, stating:
“The complainants all retracted their forced statements shortly after their interrogations. »
Their convictions were finally overturned in 2002 when Matias Reyes, a convicted rapist, confessed to the crime and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt. Law & Crime notes that New York City settled with the five men for $41 million in 2014.
What is the real effect of Trump's words?
Source: TING SHEN/Getty
Trump's legal team is relying on the “reasonable listener” standard to make its case. They argue that no rational person would interpret Trump's remarks in the debate as asserting that the five now exonerated actually pleaded guilty or killed someone.
But it's illogical. Trump will be our next president – again! She is a high-profile personality who always makes headlines. His words and actions always carry substantial weight, whether he means them literally or not. Why would his statements – true or false – not have an effect on people?
Like, make it make sense.
A History of Prejudice: Trump and the Central Park Five
Trump has a long history with the Central Park Five, dating back to 1989. Law and Crime says it spent $85,000 on newspaper ads calling for the execution of the teenagers accused of raping Meili.
The ad declared: “Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!
Years later, even after the men were exonerated through DNA evidence, Trump refused to back down or apologize. His remarks during the 2024 debate reignited long-simmering tensions and reminded many of the racialized injustice this case represents.
At the DNC in 2024, the now exonerated Five spoke out against him and his motivations at the time, stating that “45 wanted us dead.”
What's next for the case of the five exonerees?
As the trial plays out, Trump is asking the federal judge to dismiss the case entirely.
Of course he is!
It remains to be seen whether the court will accept his “virtually dead” argument. This legal battle reopens old wounds and once again puts Trump's incendiary rhetoric under the microscope.
The Exonerated Five remain steadfast in their fight, determined to set the record straight and hold Trump accountable for what they call his “patently false” claims.
DIY VIRAL
