Trump Slams Crystal Mangum’s False Duke Lacrosse Allegations
President-elect Donald Trump directed sharp criticism at Crystal Mangum, the woman whose false accusations against Duke University lacrosse players in 2006 resulted in significant turmoil and hardship for the accused. Trump emphasized that Mangum’s fabrications “destroyed the lives” of the three men involved—Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann, The New York Post reported.
“Woman admits to totally fabricating accusations in the horrible Duke Lacrosse Case,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“She destroyed the lives of these young men.”
His comments came in light of Mangum’s recent public admission that her rape allegations, which led to a highly publicized case, were indeed lies motivated by a need “validation from people and not from God.”
“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t, and that was wrong,” Mangum, 46, told the Let’s Talk With Kat podcast.
Mangum’s acknowledgment marks a pivotal moment in a case that ignited fierce media scrutiny and deep-seated racial tensions. She is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence for the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend in 2011. While Mangum’s belated confession sheds light on her previous allegations, her admission cannot lead to legal repercussions for perjury due to North Carolina‘s statute of limitations, which caps such claims at two years,
The Duke lacrosse case became a flashpoint in discussions regarding race, media, and justice in America. Initially, former Durham County district attorney Mike Nifong made public statements proclaiming the guilt of the players, saying “there’s no doubt a sexual assault took place.” Nifong also insisted that the assault was “racially motivated,” although DNA evidence later exonerated them.
As the controversy unfolded, then-Duke University president Richard Brodhead took decisive actions which included suspending the lacrosse season and ordering disciplinary measures against the players. Such responses were criticized as premature considering the pending legal issues.
Charges against Evans, Finnerty, and Seligmann were ultimately dropped in 2007, and they were formally declared innocent. However, the damage to their reputations and lives had already been done.
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