WATCH: Fox News Host Greg Gutfeld Laughs Off Exoneration of Central Park Five: Why Should Trump Apologize?
A smirking Greg Gutfeld laughed off the innocence of the Central Park Five during a discussion of race issues on Fox News’ The Five, telling co-panelist Juan Williams that President Donald Trump had no reason to apologize for his past comments: “Why should he?…You think they’re innocent?”
Trump took out an infamous, full-page ad in the New York Times just two weeks after police arrested five teenagers who confessed to participating in the brutal rape of a woman in New York’s Central Park in 1989. In it, he effectively called for their execution, even though no trial had yet to take place. After a lengthy investigation and the discovery of DNA evidence that identified a completely different perpetrator, the confessions were thrown out as having been coerced and their sentences were fully vacated. The five men ultimately won a $41 million settlement with the state of New York over false imprisonment.
Earlier in the week, Trump was asked about the Central Park Five by National Urban Radio Network correspondent April Ryan, but refused to back down, saying: “They admitted their guilt.” Gutfeld defended those comments in an exchange with Williams.
“This is a time of interesting racial discussions in the country,” Williams said. “You had that white supremacist group outside the Trump rally the other day, you had hearings on reparations, and the president refuses to apologize for Central Park Five ad…”
“Why should he?” Gutfeld interjected.
“It was terrible, those people were found not guilty. [Trump] wanted the death penalty,” Williams replied.
“Do you think they were innocent? Come on!” Gutfeld asked, laughing and turning to mug directly into the camera.
“I do think they were innocent,” Williams responded.
“Oh, I don’t. I disagree,” Gutfeld said somewhat chastened, before again chuckling into the camera.
And when Williams began to explain the forensic evidence that proved their five men were not guilty, Gutfeld shouted: “You brought it up, Juan!” and then cackled even more.
Watch the video above, via Fox News.
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