Donald Trump's infamous ad calling for death penalty in Central Park Five case resurfaces in Netflix's 'When They See Us'
A new Netflix series titled 'When They See Us' throws light on Donald Trump's controversial involvement and boost in pushing for the death penalty in 1989 during the Central Park Five case.
The push followed a case involving five teenagers who were wrongly accused and convicted of beating and raping a woman in New York City. The series features the police and prosecutorial abuse that the teenagers were put through and also the struggles that they face as adults. The Netflix show, which released in May this year, also features a reference to POTUS Donald Trump's comments on the case.
During an interview with Larry King in 1989 taken from CNN's archives, Trump who was a real estate tycoon and businessman back then defended his move of buying full-page ads which were seen in many New York City newspapers. The ads read, "BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!" He told King, "I don't see anything inciteful, I am strongly in favor of the death penalty."
"I am also in favor of bringing back police forces that can do something instead of just turning their back because every quality lawyer that represents people that are trouble said the first thing they do is start shouting police brutality, etc," he continued. Trump had also told King that when he was asked by a reporter about his opinion on the five teenage boys, he replied saying, "Of course I hate these people and let's all hate these people because maybe hate is what we need if we're gonna get something done."
The teenagers were later exonerated in 2002 after another man confessed to the crime and had DNA evidence to back up his confession. In 2016, when Trump was still a candidate for the presidential election, he stood by his actions and said, "They admitted they were guilty." The teens had initially confessed to the crime but later recanted saying that they had been coerced into doing so.
In 2014, Trump had written in the op-ed in the New York Daily News that New York City's $41 million settlement with the five teens involved was "a disgrace".
