Trump: DOJ to Review 'Outrageous' Smollett Case

President tweets about the case
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 28, 2019 7:58 AM CDT
Trump: DOJ to Review 'Outrageous' Smollett Case
President Trump speaks at the White House on Wednesday in Washington.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

All charges have been dropped against Empire actor Jussie Smollett, but the FBI is still reportedly on the case—and one person in particular hopes to keep the heat on it. President Trump, who'd railed against Smollett last month on Twitter for insulting "tens of millions" of Trump's MAGA fans with his "racist and dangerous comments," was back to addressing the Smollett situation online Thursday morning, complete with an announcement: "FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago," Trump tweeted. "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"

USA Today notes it's not clear whether the feds would have any jurisdiction in the actor's case, while CBS News adds that what the DOJ would be looking at, or why, is similarly unclear. If any misconduct were being alleged in the dismissal of the charges against Smollett, the Illinois attorney general would review it and decide what steps to take next, and his office tells CBS they're not looking into it. (Chicago police have released some of the records related to Smollett's case.)

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