Donald Trump’s five exonerated remarks that implied a Central Park victim who was still alive was “virtually dead” lead to a defamation battle.
The new lawsuit filed by the Exonerated Five (formerly known as the Central Park Five) against Donald Trump stems from comments he made during the 2024 presidential debate. In his remarks, Trump doubled down on his past rhetoric, falsely claiming that the five men had “admitted” to the crime and “killed a person”—assertions that are unequivocally denied by the plaintiffs. The five men—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam—were wrongfully convicted of raping a jogger in Central Park in 1989, but their convictions were overturned in 2002 after DNA evidence and a confession from the true perpetrator, Matias Reyes.
Trump’s defense hinges on the claim that his statements were “substantially true,” arguing that his comments were not defamatory as a “reasonable listener” would not interpret them as asserting that the men actually pled guilty or committed the crime. However, the Exonerated Five’s legal team strongly disputes this, stating that the men never pled guilty, their confessions were coerced under duress, and they were cleared of all wrongdoing. They also point out that Trump’s 1989 call for the death penalty for the teens, despite their innocence, is a key part of the ongoing harm caused by his rhetoric.
The Exonerated Five argue that Trump’s words have caused them emotional distress and have resurfaced a long history of racialized injustice in the case. They emphasize that the harm done is not merely a matter of technicalities in his statements, but the real-world impact of his refusal to acknowledge their innocence. The case is not only about correcting the record but holding Trump accountable for perpetuating damaging falsehoods.
The lawsuit is ongoing, and Trump’s legal team is pushing for dismissal, but the plaintiffs are determined to continue their fight for justice. This legal battle is not only about the accuracy of Trump’s words but also about confronting the broader systemic issues of racial injustice and wrongful convictions.
