CNN host Don Lemon worried about how conservatives would react to Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate hoax Wednesday night, saying that President Donald Trump and conservative media are going to “eat his lunch.”
“This is playing out every single moment in cable news,” Don Lemon said. “Sean Hannity’s going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch, every single second. Tucker Carlson is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second.”
“The president of the United States is going to eat his lunch, and who does the president of the United States watch every night?” Lemon asked, answering himself, “Cable news. And so, that’s all I’m saying. That’s all I’m saying.”
Empire star Jussie Smollett claimed in January that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago at 2am. He claimed his attackers beat him, put a rope around his neck, and yelled “This is MAGA country!”
The 36-year-old actor reportedly surrendered to police Thursday morning after being charged with “felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.”
CNN’s Lemon also admitted Wednesday that he and others were skeptical about Smollett’s story from the start, saying, “a lot of people, including people in the community, people of color and gay people, had questions about this from the very beginning, the veracity of this story.”
“A lot of people were reasonably skeptical about Jussie’s story. Some of the details just didn’t seem to make sense.”