Fox News hosts pile on media over apparent Jussie Smollett hoax: 'Political hate crime' that was 'motivated by hatred for Republicans'

Greg Gutfeld and other hosts of Fox News' "The Five" issued blistering condemnations of the media for skewed coverage of the apparent Jussie Smollett hoax.

What happened?

On Monday, Gutfeld and the other hosts criticized the media for the way it reported Smollet's alleged racially motivated attack.

Smollett said he was attacked in freezing temperatures about 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 in Chicago by two unidentified men. Smollett, a star on Fox's "Empire" show, said that the physical attack was racially motivated, and the two men were apparent Trump supporters.

After an investigation, police revealed that it no longer consider Smollett the victim of an attack and have indicated that Smollett orchestrated the "attack" himself. The media went wild with stories and theories about the attack since Smollett filed a police report on the alleged incident, blaming Republicans, conservatives, Trump supporters, and more for the purported climate that caused the alleged attack.

The "Empire" actor has yet to admit having a role in planning the incident.

As a result of the news media's coverage, Gutfeld said that Smollett's story was unlikely from the get-go.

"Shall we call it on Smollett?" Gutfeld asked. "The police no longer consider Jussie Smollett a victim. Queue faces covered in egg.

"Sure," he added, "the idea of Trumpers wandering in subzero Chicago at 2 a.m. carrying bleach and a noose, attacking some actor from a show they don't even watch without taking his phone, wallet, or sandwich, seemed about as real as me joining 'The View.'"

Gutfeld went on to point out that Smollett was an ideal victim for the liberal outrage media.

"But Smollett was the perfect victim for a media that deems any skepticism heresy," he added. "That's why these hoaxes are not rare. It's the press orgy that attracts them."

Gutfeld also added that he's happy that the truth came out.

"[It] once again proves we are less racist than the media wants us to be," he explained.

Anything else?

Later in the segment, Jesse Watters added that Smollett expressed a terminal arrogance in the way he proceeded with reporting the alleged attack.

"How stupid did [Smollett] think the police were?" he asked. "What low opinion of police do you have to have to be able to try to pull this off?"

Watters added, "The media's not even looking for truth anymore. They're just looking for a story. They get a good story and weaponize it against Republicans. It's not a political hate crime, and that's when you're motivated by hatred for Republicans to frame them."

Greg Gutfeld discusses new twists in the Jussie Smollett investigationwww.youtube.com