Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University appeared on Don Lemon’s CNN show to talk about Jussie Smollett’s hate crime hoax, claiming that Smollett saw the hate hoax as a path to greater fame than his acting alone could achieve.

Appearing on the program to speak about a column he wrote for The Atlantic, Columbia University Professor John McWhorter explained the motivations behind Jussie Smollett’s hate crime hoax.

McWhorter makes the case that Smollett took cues from the lessons learned from the Covington incident. Primarily, Smollett realized that America is quick to side with alleged victims, even with the facts don’t support the narrative. Moreover, Smollett realized the virtue of being a victim in the social justice age.

McWhorter went on to make the case that Smollett wanted to exploit our cultural moment’s insistence on punishing conservatives for their political beliefs. According to McWhorter, Smollett believed rightfully that many on the American left would rush to his defense, even if the attack was entirely fabricated.

You can watch McWhorter’s appearance in its entirety below.

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