Trump says FBI and DOJ will review 'outrageous' Jussie Smollett case

After all charges were dropped against Empire star Jussie Smollett, President Trump on Thursday morning tweeted that the FBI and Department of Justice will conduct a review of the "outrageous" case:

Smollett claimed he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago in January, alleging two men attacked him, tying a noose around his neck and screaming, "This is MAGA country!" After the initial reports, Trump weighed in by saying it "doesn't get any worse" than this. Police subsequently said Smollett actually staged the attack himself, and he was hit with 16 felony counts while continuing to maintain his innocence.

But on Tuesday, all charges against the actor were unexpectedly dropped, although one of the prosecutors involved said this does not exonerate Smollett or mean he "is innocent." Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police have blasted prosecutors for dropping the charges, while Smollet's attorney has argued the charges never would have been dropped if prosecutors really thought he was guilty.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Prior to Trump's tweet, ABC 7 Chicago reporter Rob Elgas had reported that the FBI was reviewing the dismissal of charges against Smollett, although he stressed that the review is "not an investigation."