Police add that <person>Smollett</person> gave no statement to police after turning himself in and that his lawyers had reached out to them Wednesday night to discuss his surrender. <person>Smollett</person> wanted to turn himself in near midnight, but authorities suggested he come in at 5 a.m. instead, to avoid spending the night in jail. <person>Smollett</person> arrived early Thursday morning accompanied by a female lawyer and an entourage of five or six people.
<person>Smollett</person> was silent as he went through the motions of being booked and processed.
By late morning on Thursday, the backlash against the actor began at the top, with an angry tweet from the President of the United States.
".@<person>JussieSmollett</person> - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA" President <person>Donald Trump</person> wrote in a tweet after the press conference.