At a Senate Judiciary hearing in Washington, Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned former special counsel Jack Smith and repeatedly mixed up the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes while pressing Smith about attendance at a basketball game, according to coverage of the hearing.
Schmitt attempted to place Smith in Atlanta on a specific date and warned him about perjury, but the line of questioning unraveled when the senator confused the NBA Hawks with the college Hawkeyes, journalists reported.
The exchange drew attention because Schmitt framed the questions as a possible perjury trap; NBC News reported that Schmitt “accused former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday of committing perjury when he denied having attended a specific” game, and The Hill said it “quickly became clear” Schmitt had mixed up teams while asking about a February 2024 game.
Smith pushed back during questioning and clarified his recollection about where he had watched the game in question; PBS captured the moment and noted Schmitt suggested Smith had perjured himself but “mixes up 2 teams” in the attempt to pin down dates and locations.
Coverage has noted the gaffe became a focal point of the hearing and circulated widely on social video platforms. Politico described Schmitt as saying he “regrets nothing” while defending his approach after the exchange became viral, and local outlets said Schmitt had not apologized for the mix-up.
The hearing itself centered on Smith’s role as a former special counsel; for more detail on his testimony and the wider exchange with senators, see Jack Smith testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee and Jack Smith testifies in Washington, which covered the testimony on successive days.
Sen. Schmitt’s broader record on immigration and judiciary matters provides context for his line of questioning; readers can review related coverage of the senator’s positions in this site’s earlier reporting.
Sources
- NBC News — reported Schmitt “accused former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday of committing perjury when he denied having attended a specific” game and covered the perjury claim angle.
- The Hill — reported that “Schmitt asked Smith if he attended a February 2024 NBA game in Atlanta” and that it became clear the senator mixed up teams while questioning.
- PBS NewsHour — noted Schmitt “suggests Jack Smith perjured himself about a basketball game but mixes up 2 teams” and ran video of the exchange.
- Politico — covered Schmitt’s response after the clip spread, reporting he “regrets nothing” and defended his questioning strategy.
- Washington Examiner — reported that Schmitt questioned Smith about an Atlanta Hawks game while Smith recalled watching the Iowa Hawkeyes in Maryland.
