Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris ripped the brutal attack on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago, where cops said the assault was possibly a hate crime.

“@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I’m praying for his quick recovery,” the California senator wrote on Twitter.

“This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.”

Chicago cops on Tuesday collected footage from city and private video cameras looking for leads in what they called a “possible racially-charged assault and battery” on the African-American Smollett, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon on the Fox show, said two people approached him at about 2 a.m. Tuesday as he was walking to get something to eat and got his attention by yelling racial and homophobic slurs.

Smollett was hit and an unknown chemical substance was poured on him, cops told the paper, and a rope was wrapped around his neck before the attackers fled.

Smollett took himself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and was said to be in “good condition.”

“Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime. Detectives are currently working to gather video, identify potential witnesses and establish an investigative timeline,” CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to the paper.

“Empire” is recorded in Chicago for most of the year.

Smollett plays a gay musician on the show and is an activist for LBGTQ rights and HIV education.