Fallout from the latest details in the alleged hate crime assault of Jussie Smollett is burying the left now trying to backtrack on their previous support of the actor.
Al Sharpton addressed the controversial turn of events during his MSNBC weekend show, “PoliticsNation,” declaring that the “Empire” actor should face serious consequences if it turns out he staged the alleged attack which occurred in Chicago last month.
“In the last 48 hours a lot has been said about the ongoing investigation into the alleged assault against actor Jussie Smollett,” Sharpton, no stranger to controversial hoaxes himself, said on Sunday’s program.
“I among many others, when hearing of the report, said that the reports were horrific and that we should come with all that we can come within law enforcement to find out what happened and the guilty should suffer the maximum,” he asserted. “I still maintain that.”
Of course, like many on the left, Sharpton had to sing a different tune as new reports indicated Smollett’s case may be headed before a grand jury after he claimed he was assaulted in Chicago on Jan. 29 by two men shouting “this is MAGA country” while pouring a liquid on him, and hurling racist and homophobic slurs against him.
New evidence led police to believe Smollett hired actors to stage the fake attack after arresting and questioning Nigerian brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were released without charges but provided evidence that police said shifted the “trajectory of the investigation.”
Sharpton came to the actor’s defense last month, as did countless others on the left.
“For Jussie, who’s not only a superb actor and singer but an activist who has fought against homophobia and racism and sexism, to be a victim is something that is totally unacceptable,” Sharpton told TMZ last month. “I challenge the Chicago law enforcement to do all within their power to find out those that are guilty and they should face the maximum penalty of law.”
But after the unraveling story continued to be updated, the 64-year-old activist weighed in again.
“If it is found that Smollett and these gentlemen did, in some way, perpetrate something that is not true, they ought to face accountability to the maximum,” Sharpton said, attempting to put himself on the right side of the unfolding story.
As for his fellow progressives who were quick to defend Smollett and condemn the critics who dared question his tale, Sharpton offered the proverbial scapegoat, using President Trump to make his point.
“Let’s not act like this is some left-wing hoax that some are saying on social media. President Trump called this horrible and he’s certainly not a left-winger,” he said. Naturally, if Trump had opted to say nothing about the alleged attack, he would have been slammed for not caring – or worse – supporting the alleged pro-Trump attackers.
Even Al Sharpton! You know you’ve become toxic when even Al Sharpton wants to keep his distance https://t.co/Hp9zlSrDYE
— Dinesh D’Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 18, 2019
“Many across the spectrum, because of Smollett’s history as an actor and an activist, stood and said this needs to be looked into. None of us talked directly with him. We were alarmed at what was reported,” Sharpton continued, taking aim at the president’s son next.
“Donald Trump Jr. started tweeting yesterday, well, they just did this to discredit those that wear MAGA hats. Jussie Smollett went on ‘Good Morning America,’ Don Jr., and said it didn’t happen. So people who were told that were being misled,” he argued.
“Let us get to the bottom of it and let justice be done no matter who is right or wrong. We cannot not get to the truth here,” Sharpton concluded.
His self-righteous take on the drama was slammed on social media where many reminded the former White House adviser for President Obama that he had quite the history of racially motivated hoaxes himself. Sharpton played the part of spokesman in the late 1980’s for then-15-year-old Tawana Brawley, a black teen who alleged she was raped by six white men.
After nearly one year and a grand jury case, Brawley’s story was found to be totally fabricated.
Twitter users noted the “parallels” in the stories and called out Sharpton as, among other things, a “hypocrite” and a “hustler.”
Actually, @JussieSmollett is a combination of Tawana Brawley AND Al Sharpton. Smollett’s a lying “victim” of a fake race/sexual orientation assault. He’s also a lying race and gay cards hustler who whipped the nation into frenzy to advance his own agenda.#JussieSmollettHoax
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) February 18, 2019
Even race-hustler @TheRevAl is seeing the light on this one.
Don’t worry, though, true to form, he’ll still try to find a way to blame it on Trump.
— TAlvin80 (@Alvin80T) February 18, 2019
What Smollett allegedly has done is no different than what CNN, MSNBC, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, Adam Schiff, Rachel Maddow and many other organizations and public figures do on a regular basis which divides our nation with made up bullshit.
— CarrollRaybin (@CarrollRaybin) February 17, 2019
Sharpton, now thats rich, Tawana Brawley ring a bell HYPOCRITE
— Patricia M (@Patrici33071851) February 18, 2019
@RealJamesWoods And now we have Al Sharpton crying accountability. Two words for you Reverend Al. Tawana Brawley.
— Jim Boblett (@jim_boblett) February 18, 2019
Parallels: #JussieSmollett & #TawanaBrawley
Fox Nation’s ‘Scandalous: The Mysterious Story of Tawana Brawley’ goes in-depth on the lie that made Al Sharpton famoushttps://t.co/4PQlVNJwwl— lmz (@loganmurrayz) February 17, 2019
Al’s key word “if”. Wish he’d used that same standard when he defended Tawana Brawley. These hoaxes need to stop and are hurting real Victims of racism.
— TUNA TUNA (@Tuna5231) February 18, 2019
You know it’s bad when Al Sharpton becomes the voice of reason.
— Carey Furnish (@CareyFurnish) February 18, 2019
Also Al Sharpton: pic.twitter.com/9R4GGHlcgP
— Diaz (@Dirty_Diaz1965) February 18, 2019
This absolutely redefines irony.
— Mr. Gladstone (@jcdobbs1107) February 18, 2019
They will eat their own to save themselves all the while being just as guilty.
— Kevin Hudson (@kevinbhudson) February 18, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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