U.S. President Donald Trump has weighed in on the Jussie Smollett controversy, demanding a review of the case and calling it all "an embarrassment to our Nation!"
As is typically the case, Trump made his voice heard via Twitter, where he posted a tweet this morning demanding the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice review the case involving the Empire actor.
"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago," Trump wrote. "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"
As previously reported, 36-year-old Smollett was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct and accused of fabricating an attack in Chicago that involved two masked men hurling homophobic and racist slurs against him earlier this year. The attackers also poured what the actor believed was bleach over him and put a noose around his neck.
On Tuesday (March 26), those charges against Smollett were abruptly dropped. Prosecutors they stood by the accusation and that Smollett was not innocent of the act, but also that an agreement by Smollett to forfeit his $10,000 USD bond was a just outcome.
However, this decision to drop the charges has only led to increased controversy, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel saying "This is a whitewash of justice."
Smollett has still claimed that he is innocent and did not stage the attack.
At this point, the Department of Justice has provided no comment on the case.
As is typically the case, Trump made his voice heard via Twitter, where he posted a tweet this morning demanding the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice review the case involving the Empire actor.
"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago," Trump wrote. "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"
FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019
As previously reported, 36-year-old Smollett was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct and accused of fabricating an attack in Chicago that involved two masked men hurling homophobic and racist slurs against him earlier this year. The attackers also poured what the actor believed was bleach over him and put a noose around his neck.
On Tuesday (March 26), those charges against Smollett were abruptly dropped. Prosecutors they stood by the accusation and that Smollett was not innocent of the act, but also that an agreement by Smollett to forfeit his $10,000 USD bond was a just outcome.
However, this decision to drop the charges has only led to increased controversy, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel saying "This is a whitewash of justice."
Smollett has still claimed that he is innocent and did not stage the attack.
At this point, the Department of Justice has provided no comment on the case.