One of the biggest headscratchers in The Ballad of Jussie Smollett is what the disgraced actor claims he was told by the pro-Trump, white-supremist homophobes who, he says, attacked him during a polar vortex on January 29, 2019. According to Smollett, after these two men beat him in Chicago’s Streeterville district at about 2:00 a.m., they yelled, “This is MAGA Country!”
Were Smollett assaulted in Arkansas, Iowa, or Wyoming, which Donald J. Trump won hands down, this accusation more loudly would sound the ring of truth. Even in Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin — where Trump squeezed past Crooked Hillary Clinton — Smollett’s assertion might be plausible.
But in Chicago, Illinois 60611, it seems more likely that Smollett misheard his tormentors’ comment. The 9 degree Fahrenheit temperature, 12 MPH breeze, and wind chill of four degrees below zero might have impaired his senses. Perhaps they declared “This must be God’s Country” as a final benediction after targeting the thespian, known for his role on Fox TV’s Empire. Since everything — even downtown Chicago — is God’s Country, this observation is easier to accept than what Smollett recalls.
As should every journalist, I checked Smollett’s story rather than swallow it whole.
According to final election results, Illinois delivered its 20 Electoral College votes to Clinton — 56 percent to Trump’s 38.9 percent. So, clearly, Smollett’s foes must not have referred to the Land of Lincoln as MAGA Country.
What about Cook County, in which Chicago is nestled? It picked Clinton — 74.8 percent versus 21.0 percent for Trump. This doesn’t sound like MAGA Country, either.
How about the Windy City? According to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ website, the Second City favored both Clinton and Trump less than did Cook County, but still went overwhelmingly for the Democrat standard-bearer: Clinton 74.3 percent. Trump 20.1 percent. No, Virginia. Chicago is not MAGA Country.
I dug even deeper.
Unlike virtually every news story, Wikipedia pinpointed this incident’s exact location: “the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street.” This address is in Illinois’s Seventh Congressional District, represented by Democrat Congressman Danny Davis.
The Daily Kos’ priceless breakdown of presidential election results by congressional district noted Clinton’s Stalinesque lock on the CD where this violence occurred. IL-07 chose her by 87.4 percent. Only 9.2 percent of Davis’ constituents supported Trump. Davis Country is anything but MAGA Country.
There was one more level of detail to consider.
I entered the 300 block of Lower East North Water Street into a map website for Chicago’s wards. Smollett was beaten in Ward 42. Google Maps presented the address of North Water Apartments at 340 Lower East North Water Street. The Board of Elections’ website revealed that this building is in Ward 42’s Precinct 31.
No dice here, either.
These voters are microscopically to the Right of those in the Seventh Congressional District. Nonetheless, Ward 42’s Precinct 31 backed Hillary Clinton by 71.27 percent. Donald J. Trump scored 24.06 percent.
MAGA Country does not include Precinct 31.
Weighing this evidence, three possibilities emerge:
First, Smollett’s attackers spiced their beatdown with a dash of irony when they exclaimed “This is MAGA Country!”
Second, Smollett should get his hearing checked, as he misconstrued whatever his critics said.
Third, the words “This is MAGA Country!” sprang from Smollett’s twisted mind just as much as did this entire evil, divisive, race-baiting, police-manpower-sucking hoax, for which six years of brutally hard labor cannot come to the execrable Jussie Smollett a nanosecond too soon.
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