Stupid title: Lemon did not "panic".
I heard Don Lemon last night as he talked about Smollett. Saying Fox and Hannity and Trump would use the story against attacks on blacks/race/etc., was only a bit of what he said. And, it is true, they will. It should be obvious they will use it. The article picks up a few sentences Lemon said, as though that was the main message.
He is a friend of Smollett, in that he knows him. He got a message in the middle of the night about this happening, from a friend who is a friend of Smollett.
In the morning, Lemon called his friend, asking questions about this. The friend said something like this, "Ask him yourself, he is here."
So, Lemon talked to Smollett. Lemon had no way to know Smollett staged the attack, but some of the story seemed not right to him. When Lemon was aware it was a hoax, he held Smollett responsible for doing this. He said, as others have said, this false attack could affect other attacks; questioning whether this victim also staged the attack. Lemon's emotions were there for all to see. He was sad Smollett would do this. He is NOT defending Smollett.
