The liberal media likely knew actor Jussie Smollett's attack claims were fake but reported them as true because they "want them to be," conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh said Thursday following Smollet's arrest for disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report claiming two men attacked him last month.
Smollett, said Chicago police, paid the two men $3,500 to stage an attack on himself because he was "dissatisfied with his salary, and told police one of the attackers said, 'This MAGA country, n****r.'"
Limbaugh also slammed Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Rep. Cory Booker, D-N.J., for their initial reaction, saying Harris "couldn't wait to believe this."
Both lawmakers called Smollett's descriptions of the alleged attack an "attempted modern-day lynching."
"The left is nothing but phony hate crimes, phony alleged hate crimes, phony charges, made-up stories," Limbaugh said.
The media, celebrities, and presidential candidates signed on to it and tweeted "what a rotten place America is because of it," Limbaugh said.
"It's just outrageous what the left is doing to this country and the picture of this country that they're painting each and every day, the false narratives that they are establishing, many of which they know to be untrue," he added.