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Sen. Schmitt's Basketball Mix-Up Backfires at Jack Smith Hearing
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 29, 2026, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) accused former special counsel Jack Smith of attending an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024, implying coordination with Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis. Smith denied the claim and clarified he had watched an Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game in Maryland that day. Sen. Amy Klobuchar confirmed the Iowa game details and called for Schmitt to apologize for the mix-up.
Quick Facts
- Jack Smith testified before Senate Judiciary Committee
- Schmitt accused Smith of attending Atlanta Hawks game
- Smith clarified he attended University of Iowa Hawkeyes game
- Klobuchar confirmed Iowa vs. Maryland game details
- Republicans launched personal attacks on Smith
Related Insights
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, facing Republican criticism over his handling of two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump. The hearing took an unexpected turn when Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) questioned Smith about attending an Atlanta Hawks basketball game on February 3, 2024, suggesting it was coordinated with Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis—who had disclosed a workplace relationship the previous day.
Schmitt presented text messages on a display board and accused Smith of potential perjury, telling him "I don't think you know that we have this stuff" and later calling him a "dirtbag." Smith denied attending a Hawks game and said he had no recollection of being in Atlanta. After Democrats pressed Schmitt to allow Smith to review the evidence directly, Smith clarified that he had attended a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game in Maryland on that date to watch player Caitlin Clark—not an Atlanta Hawks game.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) confirmed the facts: Iowa played Maryland on February 3, 2024, with Iowa winning 93–85 and Caitlin Clark scoring over 30 points. Klobuchar suggested Schmitt had confused the Atlanta Hawks with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and called for an apology. "For a U.S. senator to have false information and imply, based on a confusion about the name of a team, that you were in another city... and then call you a dirtbag is something that deserves an apology," she said.
The exchange became a focal point of the hearing, with Democrats criticizing Schmitt for presenting an unsubstantiated claim as evidence. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said the panel had been "witness to a false narrative of accusing [Smith] of being at a game that you were nowhere near." Other Republican senators, including John Kennedy (La.) and Ted Cruz (Tex.), launched personal attacks on Smith, with Kennedy saying he made him "want to throw up" and Cruz comparing him to the character Javert from "Les Misérables."
Smith testified to defend his handling of two federal investigations into Trump—one concerning efforts to overturn the 2020 election and another regarding mishandled classified documents. Both cases were dismissed before trial. Republicans have alleged Smith conducted a politically motivated prosecution targeting Trump and subpoenaed phone records from members of Congress. Smith defended the subpoenas as necessary to collect evidence of Trump's calls to delay the 2020 election certification. Democrats used the hearing to highlight the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and accused Trump of inciting violence through false election fraud claims.
Why This Matters
The September 29, 2026 hearing saw a senator present what appeared to be evidence of coordination between a federal prosecutor and a state prosecutor, a claim that could affect public confidence in the independence of two criminal investigations into a former president. The mix-up over team names—confusing Atlanta Hawks (NBA) with Iowa Hawkeyes (college)—became a focal point for both parties: Republicans used the hearing to criticize Smith's conduct, while Democrats highlighted the error as an example of unsubstantiated allegations. The underlying investigations (involving election interference and classified documents) have since concluded without conviction, making the hearing's exchange significant for how the two parties frame prosecutorial conduct and oversight.
Timeline & Sources
Feb 2, 2024
WireFani Willis and Nathan Wade disclose workplace relationship
Feb 3, 2024
WireIowa Hawkeyes women's basketball plays Maryland; Jack Smith attends to watch Caitlin Clark
Sep 29, 2026
WireJack Smith testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee; Schmitt questions him about basketball game; mix-up clarified
Sources
- ‘You make me want to throw up’: Republicans attack ex-special counsel Jack Smith at Senate hearingThe GuardianMediaSep 29, 2026
- Eric Schmitt seems to confuse basketball teams in attempt to link Jack Smith, Fani WillisYahooMediaSep 29, 2026
- Sen. Eric Schmitt’s basketball mixup, a confident witness and other takeaways from Jack Smith’s hearingCNNMediaSep 29, 2026
- Republicans wanted Jack Smith to give them a smoking gun. They got a gaffe instead.PoliticoMediaSep 29, 2026