What he called them · Before politics · № 1
Bought full-page newspaper ads describing 'roving bands of wild criminals' roaming New York neighborhoods
“a world ruled by the law of the streets as roving bands of wild criminals roam our neighborhoods, dispensing their own vicious brand of twisted hatred on whomever they encounter”
- Said
- , Full-page advertisements in New York newspapers
- Subject
- New York City and the teenagers accused in the Central Park jogger case
- Target
- American cities
- Place
- New York City
- Topic
- Justice & the courts
- Era
- Before politics
What happened
Weeks after the April 1989 assault of a jogger in Central Park, Trump paid for full-page ads in New York newspapers headlined 'Bring Back the Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!' The ad also said 'These muggers and murderers' should be 'forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.' The five teenagers later convicted in the case had their convictions vacated years later. In October 2016 Trump told CNN 'They admitted they were guilty,' and on June 18, 2019 he told reporters 'They admitted their guilt,' according to PolitiFact, which found he never apologized.