“Trump Will Never Admit He Was Wrong”: Yusef Salaam Will Be on the New York City Council – But Trump Once Called For His Execution

Michelle HollandNov 12, 2023

Minute Read

Decades ago, Trump called for his execution, but now Yusef Salaam is set to join the New York City Council. Salaam was one of the Central Park Five who was exonerated in 2002 for the attack on a New York jogger.

The Central Park Five

In 1989, a jogger was severely physically attacked and s–ually assaulted in Central Park. Six teenagers were later indicted over the incident, with charges against one being dropped. The others — who became known as the “Central Park Five” — were convicted and imprisoned, mostly in juvenile facilities.

False Confessions

Though there was no DNA evidence linking the teenagers to the attack, they later made confessions of varying degrees of culpability that were wildly inconsistent with each other. Within a few weeks, they retracted their confessions, claiming that they had been made as a result of coercion, intimidation, and lies from police.

Not Guilty Pleas

Though Salaam and the rest of the group pleaded not guilty, they were still convicted by the jury and remained in prison for several years. Salaam started his sentence in 1990 and was eventually released in 1997.

Salaam’s Exoneration

In 2002, Matias Reyes, the actual perpetrator of the attack, confessed to his crimes, and his DNA matched up with records found at the scene. The Central Park Five were exonerated as a result, but Reyes was not charged as the statute of limitations had passed.

National Attention

The case attracted widespread attention from across the country, with commentary over the fact that all five of the teenagers imprisoned were Black and Latino boys and the victim was a white woman.

Trump’s Newspaper Ad

Editorial credit: Al Teich / Shutterstock.

Trump, then a real estate magnate based in New York, was one high-profile individual who weighed in on the situation. He took out an ad in a newspaper calling on New York state to reinstate the death penalty and execute the Central Park Five.

The Council Election

Editorial credit: Felix Lipov / Shutterstock.

After easily winning a Democratic primary earlier this year, Salaam, who is now in his late 40s, was elected without opposition, making him a member of the New York City Council from the 9th district.

Trump’s Complicity

When the news of Salaam’s election broke, many people online took it as a chance to remind people that Trump had once called for five teenagers to be executed and discussed how he contributed to the toxic pile-on against them in the run-up to their trials.

Lack of Apology

“Trump once took out a full page ad on why these men should have been given the death penalty and still refuses to say he was wrong for it or that they are innocent because there are people on both sides,” one forum member wrote.

Attacking Children

“They weren’t men, they were kids,” another person replied. “Yeah… but they’re Black. You didn’t know adulthood in the black community starts at like 12?” someone else responded, emphasizing the racist double standards of behavior that Black children are held to.

Trump’s Racist Narrative

“Of course he did, they were Black kids,” another poster said, adding that it “fits in with his racist narrative.” Someone else declared that “Trump will never admit he was wrong about anything. His ego is too big and he is too weak of a person for it.”

A Reversal of Fates

Others noted that Salaam has been proven innocent, whereas Trump is now embroiled in a series of criminal cases himself. “Yusef Salaam may one day watch Trump be booked into prison,” one person observed. Someone else called it “Karma” whereas another wrote, “how the tables turn.”

Anticipating Trump’s Reaction

Some forum users speculated how Trump would react to hearing the news. “I’m sure Donald Trump will just calmly accept this one,” one commenter stated sarcastically, referencing Trump’s inability to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

An Ad Against Trump

Many online felt this was another in a long list of reasons to dislike Trump. “Can we crowdsource a full page in NYT about how guilty Trump is and needs to be incarcerated in this man’s name? That would be epic,” one person suggested.

Unnecessary Focus

One individual criticized other commenters for focusing on Trump instead of Salaam. “Why do you people have to bring Trump into everything? Can’t you just celebrate this man without dragging this in?” they asked. “Because Trump inserted himself into a situation that had nothing to do with him in the first place,” someone else explained. “Trump has to make everything about him. He does not like being upstaged.”

An Inspirational Story

Several people praised Salaam and passed on their congratulations. “This is the best news I have heard in a long time,” one poster shared. “This is such an inspirational story and a reminder to never let your past control your future. Congratulations, Yusef!” another exclaimed. “Good for him,” came the echoes of many commenters.

Salaam’s Comeback

Earlier this year, Salaam took to social media to share a poster parodying the ad that Trump took out against him. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my response,” Salaam wrote. The poster read “Bring back justice and fairness. Build a brighter future for Harlem!” whereas Trump’s Central Park Five advert from decades earlier had proclaimed, “Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!”