GOP Senator Schmitt’s perjury claim against Jack Smith backfires in Hawks-Hawkeyes mix-up
During a September 29, 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury, claiming text messages showed Smith attended an Atlanta Hawks game to meet with Fani Willis. The texts actually referred to a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball game in Maryland. Schmitt was warned the texts were unvetted by GOP staff. A senior Republican senator told RawStory they believe the White House asked Schmitt to make the accusation and provided the material.
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GOP Senator Warned Before Failed Attempt to Trap Former Special Counsel Jack Smith
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt was warned by GOP staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee that text messages he planned to use to accuse former special counsel Jack Smith of holding secret meetings in Atlanta were 'unvetted,' according to MS NOW. During a hearing, Schmitt claimed the texts proved Smith planned to attend an Atlanta Hawks game, but they actually referred to a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game in Maryland. The Department of Justice had shared materials with GOP staff ahead of the hearing, but the texts were not included in a memo compiled by Chair Chuck Grassley's team. A senior Republican senator told RawStory they believe the Trump administration asked Schmitt to make the accusation and provided the material. The incident occurred hours after Axios reported Schmitt was gaining buzz as a potential 2028 running mate for JD Vance.
Read sourceGOP Senator Warned His Attempt to Trap Jack Smith Might Backfire Before Hearing Blunder
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt was warned by GOP staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee that text messages he planned to use to accuse former special counsel Jack Smith of holding secret meetings in Atlanta were 'unvetted,' according to MS NOW. During a hearing, Schmitt claimed the texts proved Smith planned to attend an Atlanta Hawks game, but they actually referred to a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game in Maryland. The Department of Justice had shared materials with GOP staff ahead of the hearing, but Chair Chuck Grassley did not include the texts in his memo or share them with Democrats, fueling suspicion that the Trump administration engineered the failed 'gotcha' moment. A senior Republican senator told RawStory they believe the White House asked Schmitt to do it and provided the material. The blunder came hours after Axios reported Schmitt was gaining buzz as a potential 2028 running mate for JD Vance.
Read sourceGOP Senator Eric Schmitt Used Unvetted Texts in Failed Attempt to Trap Jack Smith
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri used unvetted text messages to accuse former special counsel Jack Smith of holding secret meetings in Atlanta with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Republican staff had warned Schmitt the texts were unvetted. The messages actually referred to Smith's plans to attend a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game in Maryland, not an Atlanta Hawks game. Sources told MS NOW that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley's team did not include the texts in their pre-hearing memo and did not share them with Democratic senators, fueling suspicion that the Trump administration engineered the failed 'gotcha' moment. A senior Republican senator told RawStory they believe the White House asked Schmitt to do it and provided the material. The incident occurred hours after Axios reported Schmitt was gaining buzz as a potential 2028 running mate for JD Vance.
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Eric Schmitt defends mix-up that led to viral gaffe during Jack Smith's hearing
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) is defending a mix-up that led to a viral gaffe during a hearing with former Special Counsel Jack Smith. During the hearing, Schmitt suggested Smith perjured himself regarding a basketball game but confused two NBA teams, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. Multiple news outlets report that Schmitt was warned about the text messages he used during the hearing but used them anyway. The incident has cast doubt on the move of a Schmitt aide to the White House. An editorial from STLtoday.com criticized Schmitt's 'dirtbag' attack. The gaffe occurred as Schmitt questioned Smith about his testimony related to the investigation into former President Donald Trump.
Read sourceSenator's basketball mascot mix-up derails GOP 'gotcha' moment at Jack Smith hearing
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt attempted to question Special Counsel Jack Smith about the timing of a search warrant executed at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Schmitt sought to pin down Smith on whether the warrant was executed before or after the 2022 midterm elections, aiming to suggest political motivation. However, the line of questioning backfired when Schmitt mistakenly referred to the University of Iowa's sports teams as the 'Hawks' instead of the 'Hawkeyes,' and then confused the University of Iowa with Iowa State University. The gaffe deflated the intended 'gotcha' moment, drawing laughter and criticism from Democrats and observers. The hearing, marked by GOP insults and accusations of political bias, saw Smith defending his investigations into Trump. The incident was widely covered by multiple news outlets, including The Washington Post, Politico, AP News, NBC News, and Slate, which characterized the exchange as a mortifying and failed attempt to trap Smith in perjury.
Read sourceGOP senator's perjury claim against Jack Smith fails after Hawks/Hawkeyes mix-up
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri made a perjury claim against former special counsel Jack Smith during a Senate hearing, but the claim backfired due to an apparent mix-up between the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Iowa Hawkeyes college team. The hearing, described as tense, saw Republican lawmakers attacking Smith over his investigations into former President Donald Trump. Smith defended his work, while Schmitt's error was widely reported as an embarrassing blunder. Multiple news outlets covered the event, including NBC News, CNN, The Guardian, Missouri Independent, and Al Jazeera, highlighting the political nature of the hearing and the senator's mistake.
Read sourceRepublicans seek smoking gun from Jack Smith, get gaffe instead at Senate hearing
A Senate hearing featuring former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who investigated Donald Trump, became a focal point for Republican lawmakers seeking evidence of misconduct. However, their efforts were undermined when a GOP senator made a perjury claim based on an apparent mix-up between the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes, which was widely reported as a gaffe. Multiple news outlets, including Politico, NBC News, The Hill, Al Jazeera, and The Washington Post, covered the event, highlighting the tense exchanges and the failed 'gotcha' moment. The hearing involved Smith defending his investigations into Trump while fielding insults and questions about lawmaker subpoenas. The incident was characterized as a significant misstep for Republicans, who had hoped to find a 'smoking gun' but instead saw their line of questioning derailed by the factual error.
Read sourceJack Smith, Former Special Counsel Who Charged Trump, Appears Before Congress
Jack Smith, the former special counsel who brought federal charges against Donald Trump, appeared before Congress in a Senate hearing. The hearing was marked by heated exchanges, with Republican senators leveling insults and criticism at Smith over his investigations into the former president. A notable moment occurred when Senator Eric Schmitt mistakenly referred to the University of Iowa's Hawkeyes as 'Hawks,' a gaffe that was widely mocked. Another incident involved Representative Darline Graham, whose attempt at a 'gotcha' moment reportedly backfired. Smith defended his probes during the contentious session, which was covered by multiple major news outlets including The New York Times, CNN, NBC News, and The Hill.
Read sourceGOP Senator Schmitt Accuses Jack Smith of Perjury Over Basketball Game Confusion
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 29, 2026, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) questioned former special counsel Jack Smith about attending an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks on February 3, 2024, the day after Fani Willis revealed her affair. Smith denied attending the Hawks game or meeting Willis. Schmitt displayed a poster board of alleged text messages as evidence, then quickly removed it, accusing Smith of perjury and calling him a 'dirtbag.' Smith later clarified he attended a University of Maryland vs. University of Iowa college basketball game featuring Caitlin Clark. Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed Smith's account, noting the Iowa team is called the 'Hawkeyes,' not the Hawks. Schmitt refused to apologize, later admitting on The Charlie Kirk Show he sought a 'gotcha moment.' The article characterizes the incident as a failed attempt by Republicans to attack Smith, who found proof beyond reasonable doubt of Trump's crimes.
Senator Schmitt Accuses Jack Smith of Perjury Over Basketball Game, Gets Details Wrong
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 29, 2026, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) questioned former special counsel Jack Smith about whether he attended an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks on February 3, 2024, the day after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed her affair. Smith denied attending the Hawks game, stating he had not been in Atlanta or met with Willis or Wade. Schmitt then accused Smith of perjury, displaying a poster board of alleged text messages that was quickly removed. Smith later clarified he attended a college basketball game between the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa, featuring Caitlin Clark. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) noted the University of Iowa team is called the Hawkeyes, and confirmed Smith's account, stating the game was in Maryland. Klobuchar criticized Schmitt for having false information and calling Smith a 'dirtbag' based on a team name confusion, suggesting an apology is warranted. The article characterizes the incident as an example of Republicans resorting to absurd antics and ill-informed conspiracy theories to attack Smith, who found proof beyond reasonable doubt of President Donald Trump's guilt in election interference and classified documents cases.
GOP Senator Schmitt Accuses Jack Smith of Perjury Over Basketball Game Confusion
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 29, 2026, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt questioned former special counsel Jack Smith about attending an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks on February 3, 2024, in Atlanta. Schmitt claimed this was the day after Fulton County DA Fani Willis revealed an affair. Smith denied attending the game, stating he had not been in Atlanta or met with Willis. Schmitt then accused Smith of perjury, briefly displaying a poster board of alleged text messages from Smith's team discussing the game, but quickly removed it. Smith noted the board was taken down too quickly to respond. Schmitt called Smith a 'dirtbag.' Later, Smith clarified he attended a college basketball game between the University of Maryland and the University of Iowa, featuring Caitlin Clark. Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed Smith's account, noting the Iowa team is called the 'Hawkeyes,' not the Hawks. Klobuchar stated the text messages made no mention of the Hawks and called for an apology. Schmitt later admitted on The Charlie Kirk Show that his goal was a gotcha moment, not fact-finding. The article attributes the confusion to Schmitt's lazy research and dismissal of women's sports.