Judge Delivers Legal Blow to Trump in Defamation Case

President Trump’s attempt to dismiss a high-profile defamation lawsuit from the Central Park Five has been denied by a federal judge, allowing the case to proceed to trial.

Key Takeaways

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has rejected President Trump’s motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by members of the Central Park Five.
The lawsuit stems from statements Trump made during a 2024 presidential debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris about the exonerated men.
Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that Trump’s statements could be objectively determined as false and must be construed as fact, not opinion.
While claims of emotional distress were dismissed, the core defamation allegations will proceed to trial.
The Central Park Five were exonerated in 2002 after DNA evidence implicated another man in the 1989 assault case.

Judge Rules Against Trump’s Motion to Dismiss

A federal judge has delivered a significant legal setback to President Trump by rejecting his attempt to have a defamation lawsuit from the Central Park Five thrown out of court. Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that the statements made by Trump during a presidential debate could be interpreted as defamatory and contained assertions that could be objectively determined as false. The judge’s decision means the lawsuit will now advance to the next phase of litigation, where the plaintiffs will have the opportunity to present their case against the President.

The lawsuit was filed by Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Korey Wise – five men who were wrongfully convicted of a 1989 assault in Central Park but later exonerated. According to court documents, the men claim that Trump defamed them during a presidential debate when he made statements suggesting they had admitted guilt in the case and implied the victim had died, neither of which is factually accurate. The men were fully cleared of all charges in 2002 when DNA evidence and a confession implicated another individual.

A federal judge denied President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over comments he made last year about five men who were wrongly convicted in the 1989 jogger rape case and came to be known as the “Central Park Five.” https://t.co/MDo1u1a3PM

— Bloomberg Law (@BLaw) April 11, 2025

Debate Comments at Center of Lawsuit

The lawsuit centers on an exchange during a 2024 presidential debate when then-candidate Kamala Harris referenced Trump’s past actions regarding the case. Harris stated during the debate: “a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent, the Central Park Five.” Trump responded with comments that the plaintiffs argue mischaracterized both their case and their exoneration, including suggesting they had pled guilty and that someone had been killed in the crime.

“This is the most divisive presidency in the history of our country. There’s never been anything like it. They’re destroying our country. And they come up with things like what she just said going back many, many years when a lot of people including Mayor Bloomberg agreed with me on the Central Park Five. They admitted — they said, they pled guilty. And I said, well, if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately. And if they pled guilty—then they pled we’re not guilty. But this is a person that has to stretch back years, 40, 50 years ago because there’s nothing now,” said Donald Trump.

Judge Beetlestone’s ruling specifically addresses the verifiable nature of Trump’s statements. The judge determined that Trump’s claims about the men pleading guilty and a victim being killed could be proven false. Court records show the victim in the case survived the attack, and while the men had made confessions under controversial circumstances, they later retracted those statements and maintained their innocence before being fully exonerated through DNA evidence that identified the actual perpetrator.

Trump Team’s Response and Next Steps

President Trump’s legal team has strongly contested the lawsuit, calling it politically motivated and without merit. Trump’s attorney, Karin Sweigart, issued a statement criticizing the court’s decision while highlighting that some claims in the original lawsuit were dismissed. The legal team has signaled they may continue fighting to have the entire case thrown out as proceedings move forward, arguing it represents an infringement on free speech rights.

“This baseless lawsuit is yet another unfounded and meritless attack against President Trump. It exemplifies the very kind of meritless legal action Pennsylvania’s anti-SLAPP law aims to prevent — shielding free speech from politically motivated abuse. The court’s dismissal of several claims is a victory. We firmly believe the entire case should have been dismissed and will continue fighting to protect the First Amendment rights of not just the President, but all Americans,” Karin Sweigart said.

The case will now focus specifically on the defamation claims, as Judge Beetlestone dismissed additional claims related to emotional distress and reputational damage. Court observers note that the case represents another legal challenge for the President, who has faced numerous lawsuits during both his time in and out of office. No trial date has been set yet, but both sides are expected to engage in discovery proceedings in the coming months as they prepare their arguments for court.