“The Impact Was Devastating”: Chicago’s Cross Burning Found to Be Set by Liberal, Anti-Trump Protester

In this Jonathan Turley article, Jonathan Turley reports that a Chicago cross-burning incident denounced by Mayor Brandon Johnson as racist hatred was actually carried out by a liberal University of Illinois student protesting Trump, exposing another potential hate crime hoax and raising serious questions about intent in such prosecutions.

• University of Illinois senior Merlin Lu admitted to setting the cross ablaze with MAGA hats on top, claiming he was unaware of burning crosses’ historic racist connotations and insisting there was no racist intent.
• Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the act as a “symbol of hatred” with a “devastating” impact but refused to acknowledge the perpetrator was an anti-Trump leftist, focusing only on optics.
• Rev. Michael Pfleger offered a reward for the culprit, framing it as a “bold rise of racism” to be treated as a hate crime, before the hoax was exposed.
• Under Illinois hate crime law, property damage motivated by perceived race or other factors can qualify, raising questions whether Lu’s protest constitutes a hate crime despite his claimed ignorance.
• The case echoes the Jussie Smollett hoax in Chicago and highlights debates over subjective intent versus perceived impact in true threat and hate crime prosecutions.
• Turley argues prosecutors should prove actual intent to intimidate rather than relying solely on how others perceive the act, favoring stronger scienter standards.
• This incident underscores the left’s pattern of manufacturing or exaggerating racism narratives for political gain while downplaying perpetrator motives when inconvenient.
• The fallout highlights ongoing challenges with false-flag operations, selective outrage, and the weaponization of hate crime laws in a polarized climate.

Read the full story:
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/06/18/the-impact-was-devastating-chicagos-cross-burning-found-to-be-set-by-liberal-anti-trump-protester/