President Trump slams 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett as a 'third-rate actor'

President Donald Trump is taking a shot at "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, again.

While speaking at a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday, Trump called Smollett's headline-grabbing case a "disgrace to our nation" after dubbing "MAGA country" the "greatest theme in the history of politics."

"I didn’t hear that term until that third-rate actor in Chicago went out and he said, 'I was beaten up by MAGA country.' Can you believe it?" Trump said as the crowd booed.

Smollett claimed two men yelled "This is MAGA country" in late January during an alleged racial and homophobic attack.

Trump continued: "Turned out to be a total lie."

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In late March, Chicago prosecutors suddenly dropped the 16-count indictment against Smollett, whom they'd indicted for disorderly conduct and accused of filing a false police report about his alleged Jan. 31 attack.

The decision immediately drew criticism from Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who referred to it as a "whitewash of justice."

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The commander-in-chief has continued to criticize Smollett, referring to him as "the actor that nobody ever heard of" earlier this month at the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Trump's remarks at his campaign stop coincided with this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner, marking the third time the president has skipped the event celebrating the history of journalism and the First Amendment.

Contributing: Sara M. Moniuszko

More: With no Trump or cutting comedian, the White House Correspondents' Dinner took subtle jabs

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump slams 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett as a 'third-rate actor'