Campaign speeches, interviews, or official campaign materials

Exonerated Five Criticize Trump at DNC Over $85,000 Ad

Aug 23, 2024, 12:22 AM

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago featured a significant appearance by the 'Exonerated Five,' formerly known as the 'Central Park Five.' These men, who were wrongfully convicted as teenagers for the 1989 attack on a jogger in New York City, took the stage to criticize Donald Trump. At the time of their conviction, Trump had publicly called for their execution, spending $85,000 on a full-page ad in The New York Times advocating for the death penalty, equivalent to over $215,000 today. The men, now exonerated, used the platform to condemn Trump, with Yusef Salaam stating, 'He has never changed, and he never will. That man thinks hate is the animating force of America. It is not.' The event highlighted the ongoing impact of the case and Trump's controversial involvement in it.