White House press secretary Sarah Sanders slammed people for rushing to judgment on yet another story that turned out to be untrue after Chicago police said actor Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime.
Presidential contenders Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were among the high-profile figures who rushed to condemn the attack, relying solely on Smollett’s word. Harris and Booker both referred to what allegedly happened as “a modern-day lynching.”
A slew of media figures, including reporters and analysts, also utilized the alleged attack to claim that Trump supporters and Trump himself are racist.
“I think there were so many people … that quickly came out and attacked the president, blamed the president. And in fact, as we learned more, it certainly seems like the only person to blame in this case is Smollett,” Sanders told Fox News on Feb. 22.
“It is another sad example of people so quick to want to attack and come after this president. Much like you saw with the Covington kids and certainly with this case as well. And the president is pushing back.”
Just Now: @PressSec Sarah Sanders on the #JussieSmolettHoax
“This is another sad example of people so quick to want to attack and come after this president,” Sanders said. “Much like you saw with the Covington kids … and the President is pushing back.” https://t.co/RNlmq4aSvZ pic.twitter.com/t6xvRx77m0
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 22, 2019
A rush to judgment based on a short video clip led to a slew of negative news stories about Kentucky high school students. It prompted lawyers to prepare to file libel suits against a host of news organizations and high-profile figures. The first libel suit was filed against the Washington Post on Feb. 19.
Smollett initially claimed that on Jan. 29, two white men wearing ski masks recognized him and assaulted him while yelling slurs. At one point, he said, one of the men yelled “This is MAGA country,” in reference to President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again.”
Prosecutors said after Smollett was arrested and charged with filing a false police report on Feb. 21 that he orchestrated the attack, paying two Nigerian-American brothers $3,500 and even giving specific instructions for what each brother should do. That included telling one to yell “This is MAGA country.”
While “MAGA” is known as shorthand for the slogan, it’s rarely said aloud in place of the full slogan, making the alleged quote appear awkward. With Chicago being heavily liberal along with most other American cities, it was one of the aspects of the alleged attack that first ignited people’s doubts.
Trump was among those slamming Smollett for the alleged hoax, including using the alleged attack to try to paint his supporters in a bad light.
Smollett also instructed the brothers to yell the slurs at him and that Abel Osundairo, one brother, should “attack him, but not hurt him too badly.”
In a press briefing earlier on Thursday, Chicago Police officials said investigators determined that Smollet’s visible wounds, including a scratch under his left eye, were self-inflicted.
The vicious attack on actor Jussie Smollett was an attempted modern-day lynching. I’m glad he’s safe.
To those in Congress who don’t feel the urgency to pass our Anti-Lynching bill designating lynching as a federal hate crime– I urge you to pay attention. https://t.co/EwXFxl5f2m
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 29, 2019
This is a sickening and outrageous attack, and horribly, it’s the latest of too many hate crimes against LGBTQ people and people of color. We are all responsible for condemning this behavior and every person who enables or normalizes it. Praying for Jussie and his family. https://t.co/eylvxhLT0u
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) January 29, 2019
.@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I’m praying for his quick recovery.
This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2019
Tweets sent by Harris, Booker, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Jan. 29, hours after the alleged attack was reported, are still live on Twitter. Others, including ones posted by Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), were quietly deleted with no apology to Trump or Trump supporters.
Harris said in a new statement that she was “sad, frustrated, and disappointed.”
“When anyone makes false claims to police, it not only diverts resources away from serious investigations but it makes it more difficult for other victims of crime to come forward,” the former prosecutor added.
Booker, Gillibrand, Pelosi, and other Democratic party leaders have not issued updated statements.
Many in the entertainment industry said after initial reports of the attack emerged that it highlighted different things, including alleged racism by Trump and his supporters. Actress Ellen Page, in a video seen by more than 18 million people, blamed Vice President Mike Pence for the attack during an appearance on “The Late Show.” She has not apologized or issued a retraction.
I realized today that Chicago “reporter” @RaferWeigel is responsible for much of the misinformation disseminated by Chicago PD “sources” about #JussieSmollett as he literally just repeats whatever the police say.
— deray (@deray) February 6, 2019
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was among those attacking media outlets that termed the attack “alleged” or “possible,” claiming in a statement that the attack definitely happened. “It is no one’s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes,” she said. Ocasio-Cortez has not issued an apology or retraction.
Deray McKesson, a well-known activist with over a million Twitter followers, accused a local Chicago reporter of disseminating disinformation from the Chicago police without citing specific reporting he found problematic. A New York Times reporter, Sopan Deb, shared a tweet that called for another Chicago reporter to be fired. Neither apologized for what they said or shared.
Others doubled down on their original statements despite growing evidence that Smollett orchestrated a hoax.
Actress Yvette Nicole-Brown, for instance, said on Jan. 31 that Smollett did not lie about the attack. “Those who know him know he would never do that. I hope they catch the racists soon,” she said. In Feb. 21 update, she said she wouldn’t delete her post. “won’t delete it. It’s how I felt. I don’t hide from how I feel or what I stand for, even as situations change. … Believing victims is always the right choice.”