Trump calls Jussie Smollet a ‘third-rate actor’ whose case was a ‘disgrace to our nation’

US President Donald Trump has called Jussie Smollett, ‘Empire’ star, a “third-rate actor” whose highly-publicized case was a “disgrace to our Nation.”

“It’s called MAGA country. You know, I didn’t hear that term until that third-rate actor in Chicago went out and he said, ‘I was beaten up by MAGA country, Can you believe it?'” Trump asked his supporters, as he touted his make America great again (MAGA) slogan during a rally at Green Bay, Wisconsin on Saturday night. 

“Now that’s a hate crime, right? He said he was beaten up by ‘MAGA country’. Turned out to be a total lie. That case in Chicago is a disgrace to our nation.”

Smollett, an actor on the FOX series Empire, had been indicted on 16 charges in February for falsely claiming he had been the victim of a racial and homophobic attack, in which he alleged the attackers yelled “This is MAGA country.”

Chicago’s state attorney controversially dropped all charges against the actor to the surprise of Rahm Emanuel, the city’s police officials and mayor, who called it an “abomination of justice.”

The gifted movie star became the target of a civil lawsuit in April as the city’s law enforcement demanded payment, potentially above $130,000, to cover the costs of their investigation into his alleged attack.