♪ ♪
>> Tucker: ON FEBRUARY 14TH
2019, JUSSIE SMOLLETT SAT DOWN
TO INTERVIEW WITH THE MOST
CREDULOUS PERSON AND ALSO THE
BEST PAID PERSON ON TELEVISION
TO DESCRIBE HIS FAKE HATE CRIME.
HERE’S WHAT HE HE SAID.
>> AS I WAS CROSSING THE
INTERSECTION I HEARD "EMPIRE" I
DON’T ANSWER TO "EMPIRE."
AND I DIDN’T ANSWER.
I KEPT WALKING AND I HEARD
"[BLEEP] EMPIRE, [BLEEP]."
AND I SAID WHAT THE [BLEEP] DID
YOU DECIDE TO ME?
AND THEN I SEE THE ATTACKER,
MASKED.
HE SAID, THIS IS MAGA COUNTRY
AND PUNCHES ME RIGHT IN THE FACE
FACE.
THEN I LOOKED DOWN AND I SAW A ROPE AROUND MY NECK.
ROPE AROUND MY NECK.
>> Tucker: [DISTINCT]
AS HE WAS GIVING THAT INTERVIEW,
THE PEOPLE WHO BEAT HIM UP WERE
IN CUSTODY IN CHICAGO.
THEY ARE CALLED THE OSUNDAIRO
BROTHERS WHO ARE FROM NIGERIA.
NOW SMOLLETT’S LAWYERS IS
PROMISING THAT THE CONVICTION
WILL BE OVERTURNED.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM THE
ATTORNEY FOR THE OSUNDAIRO
BROTHERS.
WE ARE VERY GLAD TO BE HAVING
HER JOIN US TONIGHT.
GLORIA, THEY GIVE SO MUCH FOR
COMING ON.
WHAT DO YOUR CLIENTS THINK OF
ALL OF THIS QUESTION MY >> OH,
MY GOODNESS, TUCKER.
LET ME SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST
THAT WHEN YOU FIRST HAD ME ON,
IT WAS PRETTY EARLY ON AFTER
THIS HOAX CAME ON AND I CAME ON
YOUR SHOW FOR US HE PROMISED ME
THAT YOU WOULD FOLLOW THE STORY
CORRECTLY AND PRETRADE CORRECTLY
AND TRUE TO YOUR WORD, YOU DID.
AND YOU’VE GOTTEN IT RIGHT SINCE
DAY ONE ON THIS.
I’M HAPPY TO BE BACK AND HERE
TALKING TO YOU ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED.
THE OSUNDAIRO BROTHERS ARE VERY
THRILLED AND GRATEFUL THAT THE
JURY DIDN’T BUY THE FAKED ACT.
>> Tucker: IT MUST’VE BEEN
BEWILDERING FOR THEM SINCE THEY
WERE THERE AND KNEW EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED TO HEAR JUSSIE SMOLLETT
DESCRIBE THIS FANTASY WITH A
STRAIGHT FACE.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON CAN DO THAT?
>> IT’S YOUR RIGHT TO TAKE THE
STAND IF YOU ARE THE DEFENDANT.
IT CARRIES OBVIOUS RISKS WITH
THAT, BUT IT DOES NOT HERE RIGHT
TO LIE IT TO THE JURY.
YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE
UP YOUR OWN SET OF FACTS.
ONE OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL
PROSECUTORS -- MY FAVORITE PART
OF THIS TRIAL WAS WATCHING SAM
MENDENHALL, WHAT AN AMAZING
ATTORNEY FROM THAT TEAM.
HE KEPT SAYING IN HIS CLOSING
REMARKS, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
YOUR OWN OPINION, YOU’RE NOT
ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN FACTS.
AND THAT IS WHAT MR. SMOLLETT
KEPT TRYING TO DO IS CHANGE THE
FACTS.
AND AS MUCH AS HE TRIED TO SELL
THAT STORY, IT JUST DIDN’T MAKE
ANY SENSE.
AND YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER, THE
OSUNDAIRO BROTHERS TESTIFIED FOR
TWO DAYS, THEY WERE NOT -- THEY
DIDN’T HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING
THE TESTIMONY OF THE OTHER.
AND THEY WENT INTO SIGNIFICANT
DETAIL ABOUT WHAT WENT ON.
AND ALL OF THIS WAS CORROBORATED
BY THE POLICE.
>> Tucker: I WONDER THOUGH,
THERE IS SO MUCH LINE JUST IN
OUR SOCIETY IF I COULD JUST SAY.
YOU BEGIN TO THINK, MAYBE PEOPLE
BELIEVE IT -- YOU DON’T KNOW
WHETHER THEY BELIEVE IT.
IN THE HERE YOU OF A JURY -- I
DID WONDER, WILL THEY BELIEVE
THIS STUFF?
WERE YOU WORRIED AT ALL ABOUT
THE OUTCOME?
>> I WASN’T WORRIED ABOUT THE
OUTCOME.
SORRY TO SAY THAT SO BLUNTLY.
>> Tucker: I LOVE IT.
>> THERE ARE JURIES THAT ARE
UNPREDICTABLE AT TIMES, BUT THIS
IS ONE OF THOSE CASES, TUCKER,
AND I KNOW YOU COVER THIS ON
YOUR SHOW, SO I WANT -- BUT
THERE WAS A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE
TO SHOW THAT EVERY DETAIL THE
OSUNDAIRO BROTHERS WERE SAYING
WAS CORROBORATED.
FOR INSTANCE, THEY SAID THEY DID
A DRY RUN ON THAT SATURDAY
BEFORE THE EVENT AND THE POLICE
WERE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN
JUSSIE SMOLLETT’S CAR.
SO WHAT’S PLAUSIBLE, VIABLE
THEORY COULD JESSE GIVE FOR ALL
OF THOSE EXACT THINGS?
NOTHING HE SAID WAS COHESIVE OR
MADE SENSE.
>> Tucker: FOR THOSE OF US WHO
SO DESPERATELY WANT TO BELIEVE
IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM ABOVE ALL
SYSTEMS IN THIS COUNTRY, THIS
WAS A THRILLING RESULT.
IT WAS REALITY-BASED.
AND I LOVE THAT YOU NEVER
DOUBTED IT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON TONIGHT,
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.