President Trump stokes racial animus that leads to attacks such as that alleged by “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, said Rep. Maxine Waters.
Smollett, who is black and gay, reportedly told police he was assaulted by two white men in Chicago early Tuesday morning who beat him, placed a noose around his neck, doused him in bleach, and yelled this is “MAGA country,” among other racial and homophobic slurs. He has since been discharged from hospital.
“I know Jussie. I love him. His family’s a friend of mine. I know his sisters, I’ve met his mom, and I called already to Jazz, one of the sisters, to talk to her about what’s happening, about what’s going on,” Waters told the Grio in a video published Tuesday.
“I’m pleased that he’s doing okay. But we have to understand this is happening for a reason. Why all of a sudden do we have people unable to study while black, unable to mow a lawn while black, unable to have a picnic while black, and being attacked?” Waters said. “It’s coming from the president of the United States. He’s dog whistling every day. He’s separating and dividing, and he is basically emboldening those folks who feel this way.”
This is not the first time Waters has weighed in on Smollett’s alleged attack.
“I’m dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!” she tweeted shortly after news broke of the incident.
Jussie is my friend – a very talented & beautiful human being. It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving. I’m dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) January 30, 2019
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., on Wednesday called on the FBI to investigate the matter as a hate crime. The bureau is reportedly already investigating a letter Smollett received last week, including one that read, “You will die black fag.”
“As you are aware, crimes of this nature strike fear at the very core of a community and have a long-lasting impact on its members,” Rush wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “They are, therefore, rightfully characterized as hate crimes. That the perpetrators in this attack are reported to have wrapped a rope around the victim’s neck is jarring, to say the least, and a surprise to many people who believe that lynching has been relegated to the annals of our history.”
