Thanks a whole fucking lot, Jussie Smollett. Because one anecdote speaks louder than a thousand data points, the Empire actor's faked attack will now drown out the very real explosion of hate crimes in the Trump era. There were 7,100 such attacks in 2017 -- a 17 percent increase over 2016 -- but because of Smollett's narcissistic ploy for attention, the MAGA loons will now discount this epidemic of violence as FAKE NEWS. Those assholes are already screaming about conservatives being the REAL VICTIMS here. Like poor, innocent lamb Roger Stone, who is due in court this afternoon to splain why he posted a photo of Judge Amy Berman Jackson with a gun target next to her head.

Ummmm .... okay then.

As Yr Wonkette's own Chicago correspondent Dom has been saying for weeks, Smollett's tale of being ambushed on January 29 by two gay-hating, Nigerian Trump supporters who put a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him was ... somewhat lacking in indicia of credibility. In Smollett's telling, the attack took place in a well-lighted neighborhood with lots of people around, or perhaps in a terrifyingly dangerous homeless camp where he had no business going. And indeed the story fell apart almost immediately.

According to Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, Smollett staged the attack in order to raise his salary by raising his profile. Which is fucking disgusting.

Last night, after wasting hundreds of hours of police time with this hoax, Smollett surrendered to the Chicago PD and was charged with felony disorderly conduct. He remains in custody pending a bond hearing scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. We have never agreed more with an official police statement.

So now we have to talk some more about this bullshit hoax instead of the federal employee who was plotting to start a real life race war and murder half the media (and Senate!) with biological weapons. And the wingnuts will use this this tragedy as a cudgel to discount the stories of real crime victims and claim liberals are credulous idiots for believing that conservatives commit violence. Why did we believe it? Because we just lived through Charlottesville, the Parkland school shooting, and the Tree of Life massacre. Because LGBT kids are getting bullied at school at unprecedented rates, and Republicans are racing to remove protections for them from state laws and regulations. Because even before Trump was sworn in, kids were shouting "Build the Wall" as a racist taunt at high school sports games.

Smollett faces up to three years in prison for the disorderly conduct charge, and an eternity of condemnation from decent people everywhere.

FOR FUCKING SHAME.

[WaPo / NYT]

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