Kamala Harris runs from questions on Smollett case, scolds those ‘seizing’ on reports it was a hoax

Sen. Kamala Harris dodged multiple questions from reporters about actor Jussie Smollett and was later raked over the coals for her statement on the actor’s arrest.

The California Democrat and 2020 presidential candidate offered no apologies for likening the hoax attack on the actor to a “modern-day lynching,” as she headed to her car through a throng of reporters while holding Al Sharpton’s hand.

Harris did express that she was “sad, frustrated, and disappointed” in a tweet Thursday, finally speaking out about the alleged attack on Smollett, who was arrested Thursday for disorderly conduct and for filing a false police report in last month’s alleged assault in which he claimed two men had attacked him, poured a chemical on him and put a rope around his neck, while yelling racist and homophobic slurs at him.

“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,” Harris said in the statement which never apologized for her previous remarks.

The California lawmaker had immediately reacted to the initial report of the alleged assault last month making assumptions about the alleged hate crime.

Continuing her non-apology-statement on Thursday, Harris called out those who “seized” upon the story instead of focusing on real crimes, apparently forgetting her own knee-jerk reaction to what she called a lynching.

“Part of the tragedy of this situation is that it distracts from the truth, and has been seized by some who would like to dismiss and downplay the very real problems that we must address. We should not allow that,” she wrote.

“We must always confront hate directly, and we must always seek justice,” she continued. “That is what I will keep fighting for.”

Earlier in the week, Harris found herself struggling to defend her initial reaction to the alleged attack when confronted with her own words, stammering her response.

Harris is still apparently not willing to take responsibility for her remarks in the wake of the latest developments. Fellow Democrats who also jumped to the 36-year-old actor’s defense when the story first broke have had differing responses and have still offered no apologies for jumping to conclusions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deleted previous tweets supporting Smollett but Rep. Maxine Waters left hers up, and continued to be “hopeful” that the police charges were not true.

President Trump called on Smollett in a tweet on Thursday to apologize for smearing Trump-supporting conservatives as racist and homophobic.

Smollett and his attorneys have denied all the allegations against him. A judge granted $100,000 bail, and Smollett paid a $10,000 bond, at his court appearance on Thursday, according to CNN. Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson blasted Smollett in a blistering statement Thursday as he discussed the details.

While Harris has dodged directly responding to questions about her divisive remarks, her tweeted statement berating others who “like to dismiss and downplay” problems earned her scorching rebukes on Twitter.

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