Donald Trump’s infamous refusal to admit wrongdoing – even when the facts are glaringly clear – may lead him to financial troubles in another legal case.

This should also result in a loss of support among Black and Latino voters.

Many may recognize the names Antron Brown (formerly Antron McCray), Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, who were wrongly labeled 35 years ago as “The Central Park Five.” Nowadays, they prefer the title “Exonerated Five,” as their wrongful convictions for two assaults and a rape in 1989 were overturned in 2002.

On Monday, they filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Trump in Philadelphia after he wrongfully claimed during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month that they confessed to guilt and had murdered someone. In reality, they pleaded not guilty, and no deaths resulted from the incidents in question.

The state of New York recognized the serious injustice done to these five young men, who were between 14 and 16 years old at the time of their arrests, by compensating them with $41 million in a lawsuit settlement in 2014. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio stated, “The City had a moral obligation to rectify this injustice.”

Trump has never demonstrated the kind of character required to fulfill any concept of moral obligation. Such values are far beyond his ego-driven, self-absorbed mindset.

Donald Trump Continues to Pin the Blame on the Central Park Five

Trump utilized the 1989 Central Park incidents to gain notoriety, launching full-page advertisements in New York newspapers shortly after, demanding, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY.” His long-standing behavior, detailed in the lawsuit, includes ongoing allegations against the five men, even after they were exonerated.

During the debate hosted by ABC News on September 10, Harris highlighted this ongoing issue. Trump, as expected, became defensive and responded with numerous inaccuracies.

“They admitted ‒ they said, they pled guilty. And I said, if they pled guilty they ultimately killed a person,” Trump falsely claimed during the debate.

The lawsuit against Trump points out that he has criticized a documentary about the exoneration of the men, which implies that he was aware of the facts and could have chosen to speak truthfully.

However, such an admission would require Trump to recognize his mistakes – something he is incapable of doing.

Shanin Specter, representing the five men, remarked that they did not offer Trump a chance to apologize or retract his statements from the debate, knowing full well from past experiences that “there was no chance of that happening.”

“For the past 35 years, he has remained stubbornly focused on this issue,” Specter expressed. “And he has consistently ignored the truth in favor of his own narrative.”

Trump’s Legal Team Responds to Lawsuit

Trump’s reelection campaign was quick to respond to the complaint, dismissing it as “just another frivolous lawsuit aimed at disrupting the election, filed by desperate left-wing activists,” while trying to implicate Harris and her campaign in the matter.

Specter opined that the lawsuit was structured to provide a straightforward legal approach without any exaggerated political language, concentrating on “seeking justice in the courts.”

“It would have been beneficial if Mr. Trump had instructed his lawyer to respond directly and clarify the truthfulness of his claims,” Specter stated.

He certainly has a plethora of attorneys by his side, and he continues to retain them.

Many issues are keeping Trump preoccupied.

In one notable case, he lost a civil lawsuit in May 2023, where a New York jury found him liable for sexually assaulting author E. Jean Carroll, leading to a $5 million award for her. Additionally, his legal team faced defeat in a subsequent defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll, resulting in an extra $83 million judgment against him in January.

Despite a jury’s conclusion that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll, he has spent years making false accusations against the Exonerated Five regarding sexual assault and other acts of violence. Ironically, he embodies the very characteristics he claims to abhor.

Will Trump be held responsible for this?

It’s possible for two statements to be true simultaneously. This lawsuit may not be directly linked to the upcoming election, yet it could impact Trump’s efforts to gain support from Black and Latino voters.

Trump’s provocative advertisements from 1989 reeked of racism, serving as a subtle but clear attempt to draw attention and engage racist sentiments, ultimately rallying the foundation of his base.

Perhaps the moment has finally arrived for him to face repercussions, especially after 67 million viewers witnessed him repeat his false claims about the Exonerated Five during a debate.

“It’s devastating for them,” Specter said. “They have to clear their name all over again. Now, it’s been defamed to 67 million people. And it just never stops.”

Salaam, now 50 years old and a member of the New York City Council, traveled to Philadelphia for last month’s debate. He attempted to confront Trump afterward in the “spin room,” asking if he would apologize to the Exonerated Five.

“Ah, so you’re on my side then,” was Trump’s response. This moment felt like yet another instance highlighting his confused state of mind as he waved goodbye and walked away while Salaam reiterated his request for an apology.

One can hope for a full spectacle surrounding Trump—a trial involving an elderly defendant who struggles to stay awake until a jury determines his fate in the one way it seems to resonate with him: through financial penalties. At that point, he won’t have the luxury of simply walking away.