For years, Trump has complained about how unfairly the press and our justice system are treating him. He has claimed, "Our justice system is broken and rigged against us," and that "The deep state is out to get me and will stop at nothing." He has also accused the media of being "the enemy of the people" and working with the deep state to destroy him.
Trump has always manipulated the media by creating news cycles with absurd statements, and the media has given life to his chaos. He is arguably one of the best media manipulators out there. However, one horrible example of his manipulation was his involvement in one of the most egregious aspects of the Central Park 5 case.
In 1989, Trump released a full-page ad in several newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York State, explicitly referencing the Central Park 5 case. He has continued to defend his actions to this day, refusing to apologize and doubling down on his belief in their guilt.
Fast forward to April 4th, 2023. Donald Trump turned himself in New York after being indicted by a grand jury on criminal charges from a hush payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign. Yousef Salaam served up his own delicious dish of Karma by taking out a full-page ad punching back at Trump while bringing attention to his bid for NYC District 9 in Manhattan.
Check out this interview Yusef gave on MSNBC recently. The next time you hear Trump whine about the justice system, pause and recall how he used his power and influence over five young men he did not know.
About Yusef Salaam.
Yusef Salaam is a writer, motivational speaker, and social justice activist who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He was born on January 29, 1974, in New York City and grew up in Harlem.
Salaam spent nearly seven years in prison before his conviction was overturned in 2002 after DNA evidence proved that another man had committed the crime. He was the only group member who was not released earlier because he was serving time for an unrelated crime at the time of the DNA discovery.
Since his release, Salaam has advocated for criminal justice reform and spoken out about his experiences with wrongful conviction and imprisonment. He has also worked as a motivational speaker, using his story to inspire others to overcome adversity.
In 2019, Salaam was one of the subjects of the critically acclaimed Netflix series "When They See Us," which chronicled the Central Park jogger case and its aftermath. The series brought renewed attention to Salaam's story and to the issue of wrongful conviction.
Salaam is also the author of a memoir, "Words of a Man: My Right to Be," which was published in 2021. The book chronicles his life before, during, and after his wrongful conviction and imprisonment and offers a powerful message of hope and resilience in the face of injustice.