Donald Trump Attacks Central Park Five on Twitter
Donald Trump may need a history lesson.
The brash mogul angered many with a tweet he posted attacking the Central Park Five, the group of five men exonerated in the gang rape of a woman jogging in Central Park over two decades ago. The men were convicted after allegedly being coerced into a confession, but many years later were found innocent and released after another man confessed to the crime and DNA evidence corroborated the story. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns even made a moving documentary on the incident.
It all started when Trump posted an angry tweet about the Boston bomber in custody, saying "didn't the Boston killer run over his own brother with a car in order to get away? We are not dealing with a baby here — DEATH."
A follower responded, "With all due respect, after the Central Park Five, perhaps you should keep law and order comments to yourself." The commenter was referring to the fact that Trump took out full-page newspaper ads in 1989, during the height of the Central Park Five trial, calling for their execution. The men were, of course, proven innocent in 2002 and their sentences were vacated.
Trump responded to the tweet, "Tell me, what were they doing in the Park, playing checkers?"
The answer to that question is, as the court system has now acknowledged, not raping a 28-year-old woman. Though he quickly deleted the tweet, Trump has angered many with this latest display of insensitivity. The former Republican presidential candidate and host of Celebrity Apprentice has demonstrated equally right-wing stances on topics like gun control, immigration, same-sex marriage and a woman's right to choose.
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(Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)