Trump Says FBI and DOJ Will Investigate Jussie Smollett Case

He slammed the decision to drop all charges against the actor.

ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

President Donald Trump blasted the decision by Illinois prosecutors to drop all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett, announcing in a Thursday morning tweet that the FBI and Justice Department will be reviewing the events that lead to the stunning dismissal. 

It’s unclear, however, if the FBI or Justice Department have jurisdiction over the case.

Police had previously accused Smollett, who is gay and black, of orchestrating a January attack in which he alleged two men wearing MAGA hats had jumped him while they shouted racial and homophobic slurs. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s abrupt announcement on Thursday that it was dropping all charges against Smollett for allegedly filing a false report was met with shock and confusion. 

The president’s family and conservatives were among those to voice anger at the decision. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, also slammed the news and called it a “whitewash of justice.”

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1110588180657520641

This isn’t the first time Trump has weighed in on Smollett’s case. “What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!” Trump tweeted shortly after Chicago police detailed allegations that Smollett had staged his own assault.

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. The deadline’s almost here. Please help us reach our $150k membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. The deadline’s almost here. Please help us reach our $150k membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate