Donald Trump’s latest legal headache comes not from prosecutors or political rivals, but from five men whose names are etched into New York City history — the Central Park Five. And this time, a federal judge has made it clear: their case isn’t going anywhere.
A federal court has ruled that Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Korey Wise can continue with their defamation lawsuit against Trump over statements he made during a 2024 presidential debate — remarks they say dragged their names back through the mud decades after they were exonerated.
Judge Wendy Beetlestone didn’t buy Trump’s argument that his comments were protected opinion under the First Amendment. In fact, she made it plain: falsely stating that someone pleaded guilty or committed murder isn’t a matter of opinion — it’s a factual claim. And in this case, it’s demonstrably false.
Though she tossed out a claim of emotional distress, the core of the lawsuit remains intact. The five men, all wrongfully convicted in 1989 and cleared by DNA evidence and a confession from another man in 2002, are seeking damages for the reputational and emotional harm they say Trump caused — along with punitive damages.
Trump’s team waved the dismissal of one claim as a small win, dismissing the overall suit as baseless. But the plaintiffs’ attorney welcomed the ruling and said they’re ready to push forward with discovery and trial, aiming to bring what he called long-overdue vindication.
Back in 1989, Trump infamously called for the death penalty after the jogger’s assault, purchasing full-page ads in major New York papers. He has never backed down from those views, even after the men were proven innocent.
During a 2024 showdown with Kamala Harris, Trump repeated claims that the five had “killed someone” and “pleaded guilty” — statements that are not just inaccurate but potentially costly, now that a federal judge has given the green light for the courtroom fight to continue.
The White House had no comment. The court, however, had plenty to say — and the echoes of a case that once gripped the nation are rumbling once again.
