Select Page

HORIST: The attack on Jussie Smollett WAS racist.

HORIST:  The attack on Jussie Smollett WAS racist.

In the event you have been in a coma for the past few weeks, I shall explain the headline – but maybe not in the way you think.

The breaking news of January 29 was about  a racial/homophobic attack on black comedian/actor Jussie Smollett — star of the television series, “Empire.”  According to his report to the police, he was beaten by two men who cursed him with racial slurs and homophobic threats.  To emphasize their hatred for blacks, the thugs hung a rope around his neck and splattered him with a toxic liquid.  They further warned him that this was “Maga country” – implying that they were Trump supporters.

Smollett had previously reported a threatening letter on January 22 – the kind with all the letters cut out of a magazine.  The envelope also contained “suspicious” powder (turned out to be Tylenol).  That revelation did not garner a lot of media attention – which may explain the sequel.

What a story!  A prominent black entertainer attacked because of his race and sexual preference in the name of President Trump.  This had all the elements to get the anti-Trump media into a feeding frenzy – and it did.  This was such a good story to play into their anti-Trump narratives that they gave it top of the hour treatment – and significant analyses by their stable of bobble-head panelists.

Democrats pounced on the story like it was an emerging whack-a-mole.  Presidential wannabes Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders were quick to tie the event to their narrative of pandemic racism in America and the corruptive influence of the President.

But … even as the story came out, there were some elements that raised questions.  Why was the attack not captured on security cameras?  Why did the attackers happen to have a rope and some liquid?  What did the attackers look like?  How did they know Smollett was gay?  Normally, the working press would follow up on those questions, but not in this case.  In fact, they dismissed the questions out-of-hand – preferring to use the attack as part of their sustained demonization on Trump and anyone who supports him.

Unfortunately for all those self-righteous people who echoed the initial report for political reasons, the story continued to unravel … and unravel … and unravel.

Turns out that the two perpetrators were a couple of Nigerian nationals, brothers – one of whom worked on the set of “Empire.” Hmmmm.   They had just purchased the rope and liquid – which turned out to be bleach – at a nearby hardware store.  Hmmmm.  There are reports that the brothers even said they practiced the attack with Smollett.  Hmmmm.  Police found rope, a red hat and cut up newspapers in the brothers’ home. Hmmmm.  There was a report that Smollett had been in cell phone contact with the Nigerian brothers shortly before the attack.  Hmmm and hmmmm.

There are a lot of other discrepancies.  One attacker wore a red hat, but not a MAGA hat as Smollett claimed.  He must have known that the attackers were black because he first stated that “one wore a mask.”  It is also most unlikely that two Nigerian brothers would be crazed Trump supporters.  Just saying.

Smollett, through his lawyers, said that he was hurt, pissed and otherwise upset by the very suggestion that he would have staged such a thing.  He claimed to now be doubly victimized.  (Okay, the lawyer statement did not say he was “pissed,” but Smollett did say it on a later television interview.)

With the mounting evidence against him – and even his hitherto champions falling silent – it does not appear that Smollett can conceal the truth much longer.  It appears that the entire action on the streets of Chicago was scripted and rehearsed.  And to what purpose?  That seems obvious.  Publicity and to strike a blow against Trump.

This is reminiscent of another comedian, Steve Rannazzisi, who waxed on eloquently and in great detail how he barely survived the attack on the New York Trade Towers in 2001.  “I was there and then the first tower got hit and we were like jostled all over the place,” he later told an interviewer.  Turns out, he was not even in view range.

I am also reminded of how Senator Richard Blumenthal claimed he saw combat in Vietnam, which, he later said was simply a mistake.  If you question the relevancy of the Blumenthal lie with the Smollett story, you are right.  I just did not want to lose an opportunity to bring the Senator’s disgraceful theft-of-valor to public attention again.

So … why the headline that says it was a racist attack?

Because it was, Smollett used race to try to make a point about America and our politics.  The entire production was race-based.  Well. Maybe not the entire production.  He also wanted to show how homophobic America can be.  He wanted to be what the Democrats and media made of him – at least temporarily – a heroic victim of racial and homosexual intolerance with a swipe at Trump and his followers.

Smollet has suffered the worst fate of a comedian – not being funny.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

16 Comments

  1. Thomas Dunphy

    the great enemy of the usa is the democratic party and the whole deep state, the fbi, cia, irs, nsa, it will take GOD to destroy it and HE will its called ARMAGEDDON.

  2. Eva

    It was all made up and paid for by Smollett. the democrats will jump on anything they think points toward Trump. Its a sad day. Something needs to be done about the democrats. they are committing treason every day.

  3. Burl Turmna

    It is ashamed that some one hates Mr trump,so bad that they would go that for,I think he should be purnished to the full extent of the law

  4. Kenny Shoemake

    Larry Horst. You are a brilliant writer and a national treasure. Please, please continue shining the sunlight on the truth.

  5. Billv

    These so-called news outlets rush to judgment in the cases that they do not want to know the truth because it fits their narrative and that is more important than the truth. They are lazy lying networks and they are CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC> The licensing of these stations should fine them 1 billion dollars each for what they are doing to this country. They are dividers not uniters and this is harming us.

  6. Prof. O Azarfahimi @CSUS

    Just wanted to thank you for bringing these discrepancies to light. The complexity and compartmentalizations of the unelected career politicians that make the entire deep state a reality in America have been a very real threat especially after being weaponized in a sense after 8 years of Hillary in the st department. Journalists like you are our only line of defense after abolishment of SMITH MUNDT ACT

  7. Luis D Rey

    Thank you, Larry,
    I couldn’t have explained it better, you are Tops !!

    That queer negro Hollywood boy is a real bundle of crap, to say the least !!

    • DAV

      Half-black !

  8. Jesse Tiede

    Of course it was a “Racist, Homophobic” attack! I know very many black people, most of whom are solid, hardworking, caring American Heroes. Some, however, are just plain old “N words”. I think Mr. Smollette is one of the latter. I don’t care that he is damned to an eternity in Hell. He has made his choice, and, while I grieve for his soul, he, apparently, prefers to embrace his sin, and, attempt to legitimize it by ramming it down our Hetero throats. And he got caught. Racism is alive and well in this country, but, every single time I see or hear it, it is coming from the “So Called” victims. I know that there is a certain segment of our society who still think like it’s 1930, or something, but, they will never learn different, especially if the rest of us, ALL of the rest of us, don’t say, and do, the right thing. And be honest in all of our dealings, whether they be with others, or ourselves.

  9. Ron C

    Well there you go folk’s…NOW even when the story is a know fake lie…”Political Correctness” dictates that you must atone for being racist…right? You will become a good little socialist’s or George Soros’s news media will call you vile names even when you aren’t…? That is what the democrat party is bring the village idiots to….”A New World Order”
    What a bunch of sick bastards!

  10. HARRY

    OOPS THATS NOT WHAT HE HAD IN MIND.

  11. ANTHONY ESPINO

    “This is reminiscent of another comedian, Steve Rannazzisi, who waxed on eloquently and in great detail how he barely survived the attack on the New York Trade Towers in 2001.” and “I am also reminded of how Senator Richard Blumenthal claimed he saw combat in Vietnam, which, he later said was simply a mistake.” and this list includes Donald Trump himself who stated, “I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down, and I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down,” he said. “There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey where you have large Arab populations,” he told George Stephanopoulos today on ABC’s “This Week.” “They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down — as those buildings came down, and that tells you something. It was well covered at the time.” Trump first claimed to have seen the images of people cheering in New Jersey while speaking at a rally in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday.
    And the list goes on and on. When will the lying stop and to what end do these people have to gain that they feel compelled to bring this sort of shameful publicity on themselves.

  12. Katee

    Yes it was racist! A black racist, which is 98% of all racist activities these days. Pure and simple!

  13. William

    It’s the DemocRats that stir The racial and homophobic tensions and display violent intolerance!!! Conservatives don’t want to be involved in those controversies!!! Simply look at the violence towards conservative speakers on college campuses or the racial riots in the streets promoted by Black Lives Matter! All democrat violence!!!

    • DAV

      Black LIES matter ‘

  14. William

    Democrats are the racist ones, they are constantly trying to use hate against anything they want to promote to demonize those who stand for truth and honesty! The truth is racism is not as big a problem as the dems want it to be. Yes there is racism, but a black man with a decent appearance (not wearing his pants around his knees!!!) and an honest work ethic can do as well as any white man! And NO! You can not change your gender by saying it!!! Stop the democratic insanity!!!

  1. Remember the title: “More woman victimization from the left.” The author, without a shred of evidence, presumes that there are…