Trump Adds His Two Cents About Smollett’s Guilty Verdict

Former President Donald Trump has added his two cents on how he feels about Jussie Smollett’s guilty verdict. The former “Empire” star claimed he was attacked by MAGA supporters who allegedly screamed “this is MAGA country” back in January 2019. The actor told police many times that he had been beaten, doused in bleach, and had racial and homophobic slurs slung at him.

Earlier this week a jury found that Smollett had made false police reports five times.

On Dec. 10, 2021, Trump had a phone interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. During the discussion, he stated, “This is really a hate crime. Sort of a hate crime in reverse.” Trump added that Smollett was “not going to get away with it.”

The former President then pointed out that if Smollett was “a Republican…he’d be in jail for 25 years for hate crimes for what he did and for what he said.” Which most people would agree this is a gross over-exaggeration by Trump.

He called the actor a “con man” whose deception was an attempt to gain publicity and to return back on the TV show “Empire” on favorable terms.

Smollett maintained he was innocent throughout the whole trial. His lawyer has stated they will be appealing the verdict.

Trump told Ingraham that Smollett’s efforts “didn’t work out too well.” He added that the actor “got caught. And you know it’s interesting” because “he wouldn’t have been caught” if he had not “pressed it all the way. He pressed it too far.”

Then the Trump stated that the Chicago Police Department “did an amazing job…they caught him cold, and he deserves it.”

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki brought up Trump when they were asked whether Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden regretted supporting the now-convicted Smollett back in 2019.

She stated, “There are lessons learned perhaps for everyone who commented at the time, including former President Trump.” Then she read Trump’s quote from her notes, “I can tell you that it’s horrible, it doesn’t get worse.” She added that they respected “the jury’s decision.”

Many people stood behind Smollett when the alleged attack first happened. Now that the truth has come to light, they are appalled by his blatant lies. Smollett could be facing 20 years for his crimes, however, it is highly believed he will receive a slap on the wrist with fines and community service.

Opinion News by Sheena Robertson

Source:

Daily Mail: ‘If he were a Republican he’d be in jail for 25 years’: Trump calls Jussie Smollett’s fake MAGA race attack ‘a hate crime in reverse’ following actor’s guilty verdict; by Keith Griffith and Jennifer Smith

Images Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License