Never underestimate the Left’s power to get people riled up.
Even if they have to pay them to do so....................
They first have to have a believable crisis to exploit. A killing, a harsh court judgement, a perceived racial injustice, a major court case or legislative battle, etc.
The Smollett thing is a nothingburger. There's no political advantage to be gained by raising a ruckus for this guy - especially given the complete lack of evidence involved. If there were even the slightest bit of physical evidence to back the guy's story, you'd have your crisis and an exploitable opportunity.
Anyone sticking their neck out for this guy is going to wind up with a tar baby on their hands, and they know it.