We all remember the infamous Jussie Smollett scandal: In 2019, the Empire actor lied about being the victim of a hate crime and was convicted of disorderly conduct. The fifth anniversary of the incident is only a days away, but that’s not why he’s trending.
(Here’s a hint: it has to do with House Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and it’s absolutely ridiculous).
While on CNN, the California congresswoman responded to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s assertion that racism wasn’t a major issue in the United States. As a part of her response, Lee — who has served in Congress for decades — recounted a racist encounter on Capitol Hill.
“I was walking from the House building on Capitol Hill to the Capitol, and a man, a white guy, told me I could not get into the members elevator,” she said. “And we have pins, and I was going to vote, and he blocked me from getting into the elevator and told me I was not a member of Congress.”
Lee said she attempted to correct him but then he accused her of theft. “’Sir, I’m a member of Congress, ’ and I showed him my pin,” said Lee. “And he says, ‘whose pin did you steal?’”
The last revelation earned a shocked looked from CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins as Lee continued to discuss her experience on the Hill. “Now this is an example of what personal racism is, and how people of color have to deal with this each and every day,” said Lee.
While many people were rightfully horrified that a member of Congress who’s served since the 1990s would be treated like this, conservative trolls took the opportunity to harass Rep. Lee instead.
“Jussie Smollett???,” posted “The Silent Majority” on X. “No doubt there are security cameras on that elevator, pull the video to determine fact or fiction! If true then fire the individual who made the remark, if not true then fire this representative!”
Other similar accounts made the comparison as well.
“Five years ago an actor did a hoax for publicity, and somehow this means that every black person who talks about racism is lying forever,” wrote on social media user. “If you believe Jussie Smollett’s case has anything to do with Barbara Lee, you are in fact a racist.”
“Chrisi” also noted the California congresswoman is a veteran with 25 years of service under her belt and no previous allegations of hoaxes — not a young actor in Hollywood. (As an aside, it’s also way less extreme of an accusation than the alleged hate crime).
Congresswoman Lee has not responded to any of the tweets comparing her to Smollett.