Donald Trump announced via Twitter on Thursday that he planned to have the FBI and the Justice Department take a look at the Jussie Smollett case, and people aren't having it.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, the president vowed to have federal investigators examine the situation because he believed it makes America look bad. Trump didn't clarify what federal authorities could do in this situation, given that it isn't under federal jurisdiction.
"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!" he wrote.
Trump's critics lashed back, suggesting that the president has better things to do with his time and this particular issue is racial politicking from the White House. David Axelrod, the former adviser to President Barack Obama, tweeted that the move was exploitative.
"By claiming a false attack, Smollett tried to exploit the hate @realDonaldTrump has stirred," he tweeted. "Now, predictably, Trump is moving to exploit Smollett's exploitation. Talk about a vicious circle!"
Adam Serwer, a writer for The Atlantic, said that the Smollett case is a useful political ploy for Republicans.
"In case it's not obvious, Trump really likes the Jussie Smollett case because for him and his base it fits into the Trumpian/Fox News narrative that racism against minorities is fake but racism against white people is real," he tweeted.
Others called out Trump for being dishonest, saying that he shouldn't be attacking others who he believes are doing the same thing.
