Democrats and other high profile figures who publicly voiced support for “Empire” star Jussie Smollett in the wake of his claims that he was attacked by a pair of Trump supporters now are scrambling to backtrack.
Over the weekend, Chicago police have announced that the “trajectory of the investigation” has changed — and media reports are circulating that suggest Smollett may have hired the two men involved as part of a hoax.
The turn of events is a huge potential embarrassment for Democrats such as presidential candidate Cory Booker, who first called the alleged attack, “an attempted modern-day lynching.” On Sunday, Booker said he is now withholding further comment until more about the case is brought to light.
Similarly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Twitter account has since deleted a Jan. 29 tweet that condemned the “racist, homophobic attack.”
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