Another hate crime hoax?
The incendiary story of an alleged hate crime attack targeting Empire actor Jussie Smollett immediately went viral yesterday, with media reporting the attackers made racial and anti-gay comments while using President Trump’s “MAGA” slogan during the 2 a.m. assault in downtown Chicago.
But conflicting versions of the incident from Smollett himself, and details reported by the media being outright contradicted by Chicago Police have raised questions about what actually happened.
Debra Heine noted on the PJ Media last night that police had found surveillance video of Smollett, but had not been able to find video of the alleged assailants.
Many more details of the shifting stories at the link.
If it is a hoax, or at least partly a hoax, those MAGA-hatted perps would be the tell. After all, we now know—thanks to the uproar created by a smiling Catholic teenager wearing one—that a MAGA hat is the new KKK hood. So of course they’re going to be assaulting Smollet while wearing the emblems of their hateful creed.
I had never heard of Jussie Smollet before this incident, which tells you how out of touch I am. I had barely read about this incident before today. And I have no idea what actually happened. But Smollet’s story is appearing fishier by the moment.
One thing I do know is that Smollet hates President Trump (although I think “hate” may be way too weak a word to describe Smollet’s sentiment):
Shut the hell up you bitch ass nigga. You will continue to run this country further into the ground and risk lives every time you breathe. You’re not the president. Just a dumpster full of hate. FOH. Sick to my stomach that literal shit currently represents America to the world. https://t.co/qoNWllmZIm
— Jussie Smollett (@JussieSmollett) January 12, 2018
Wait.
I would like to see the statistics of actual hate crimes versus hoaxes. There does seem to be a lot of hoaxing.
Of course it’s a hoax. Perps wearing MAGA hats shouting racist and anti-gay slogans? Those always turn out to be hoaxes. I just hope it can be proven and he is charged with filing a false police report. Maybe that would counteract some of the false publicity this has already received and discourage other fake hate crimes.
Color me skeptical right now. This allegedly happened at 2 am on a night when a snow storm had just finished dumping a half foot of snow and the temperature in Chicago was near zero with significantly lower wind chills, and two assailants are going to hide in the shadows just waiting for a B-list actor to venture out for a late night snack so that they can ambush him? And shout “This is MAGA country” (or something to that effect)? In deep blue Chicago? Hmmm.
Well, I am extremely skeptical as well. But I’m withholding judgment for now pending further info.
It could be true but I’ll wait until I see if any evidence supports it. The assailants were wearing balaclavas, gloves, and MAGA hats? Read the whole report to which Neo links. This is very fishy.
And by the way, charming guy, isn’t he, based on the quoted tweet? I won’t be going to check out his TV program, what ever it is.
This preposterous story has elicited the expected Pavlovian reaction from partisan journalists as well as brainless celebrities and entertainers. The likelihood that the event occurred as reported is very close to zero. Interested readers should consult Michelle Malkin’s new column.
Ok…I’ll call it a hoax.
But if anyone has earned a beat down…he could be one of them.
He seems nice.
“Chicago Police initially denied the “MAGA” claim based on their initial interview. Smollett only added that detail in a second interview, after it had already been widely reported.”
Repressed memories — or, like Obama, Smollett doesn’t know anything until he reads it in the newspapers.
The first article I read yesterday said that he went to the hospital for treatment — was that before or after the police came to his residence?
If before, didn’t they remove the noose to treat him???
https://www.redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2019/01/29/media-shouldnt-make-mistake-jussie-smollett-reports-covington/
Well, they didn’t live up to the challenge. Big surprise, there.
Original piece from TMZ has a picture of Smollett’s face.
https://www.tmz.com/2019/01/29/empire-star-jussie-smollett-attacked-hospitalized-homophobic-hate-crime/
I’m not seeing the sequence: hospital, then cops; or cops, then hospital?
If I got beat up on the streets of Chicago at 2 am, I’m kinda thinking I would do the 911 & ER thing first, then call the police.
But, that’s probably just me.
I think I read that cops called by someone else in his apt, they appeared, then the hospital. Somewhere in there is the MAGA comments. As noted above, very cold night, wearing balaclavas. Why and just how would you be able to put any cap on your head?
And the bleach thing? Someone carrying bleach around at 2 AM?
I guess I just jumped to a conclusion – any attack done to him was done by his apt. guest.
The Python programming language implements “duck typing.” Skipping the compsci lecture, it means if something “walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be a duck.”
I think Master Smollett is a duck.
Yeah, it smells. And neo, don’t feel like the lone ranger… I share your out of touchness. I’m also nearly certain that we’re not missing anything of value. Nor had I read anything about it till today. P.J. Media too?
There is a more important side to these invented attacks. They allow the left to play the victim and act as prepatory justification for the increased ‘retaliatory’ violence that will be coming from the left.
My guess is that his anti-Trump rants didn’t get enough attention; so, he had to “up his game.”
Does not pass the smell test.
charles:
That is also my working theory.
I’m still going with the plan to wait three days for the crowd-sourced journalism to bring out the facts.
Too bad the Black Hebrew Israelites weren’t filming there that morning.
https://www.redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2019/01/30/chicago-pd-provides-important-update-jussie-smollett-case/
“The images of the two potential persons of interest show them walking in the general area of where Smollett is. It does NOT show an assault. ”
* * *
Two surveillance photos have been released of two dudes (unless I inappropriately misgendered them) walking down a sidewalk in black hoodies.
I’m sure identification will be forthcoming shortly.
Can’t be all that many people matching that description in Chicago.
Speaking of hoaxes….(via Instapundit today)
http://www.victoriataft.com/docs-reveal-portland-school-administrators-planned-paid-for-student-anti-gun-protest/
What strikes me is how cartoonish the account of the encounter is, as if he met droogs out wandering the street for a bit of the ultraviolence.
One thing that has struck me in the descriptions of hoax encounters is just how cartoonish it all is, using a stereotype that belies the fact they neither know nor care about knowing someone who believes differently from them.
If this does turn out to be a hoax, you can bet the stereotype will live on and be used in future hoaxes.
It’s all Jussie Smollett’s fault. If you have ever gone to Subway at 2 AM for a sandwich you know that whites wearing ski masks and MAGA hats and carrying bottles of bleach and nooses loiter there. Not only that, but they are just looking for famous black actors to attack. He should have gone to Arby’s instead.
Still no supporting evidence as of now, except for those two people walking, all bundled up in the cold, holding no rope or container of something to throw, and with Smollett nowhere in sight. At this point, “not proved” is the best which can be said for his story.
Oh, and the two “persons of interest” are not wearing MAGA hats.
If this is a hoax?
Did you actually say “if this is a hoax”?
Yes Harry. I’m still waiting to hear if there was a white man twirling his handlebar mustache while a nearby dog snickered throughout the attack.
Both wearing MAGA hats now of course….
A good summary of the case; doesn’t seem to have been any new data added today.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/jussie-smollett-case-not-adding-up/