Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri faced backlash for a gaffe during a congressional hearing where he attempted to discredit former special counsel Jack Smith by accusing him of meeting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at an NBA game, which turned out to be a mix-up with a college basketball game. Before the incident, Schmitt’s team had been warned that the information they were relying on was "unvetted." The Republican senator's actions were part of a broader GOP effort to portray investigations into former President Donald Trump as coordinated attacks. Democrats criticized Schmitt for not verifying his facts before making serious accusations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Tuesday, former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley to defend his two criminal investigations into President Donald Trump. Republicans accuse Smith of abusing authority and politically targeting Republicans, while Democrats support him for standing up against Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents. The hearing, titled "Oversight of Jack Smith’s Abuse of Authority and the Targeting of Republicans," also involves scrutiny over subpoenas issued by Smith's office, which were aimed at disrupting certification of Joe Biden's victory in 2020, ultimately leading to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Smith has insisted his decisions were made without political bias and said he would not be silenced despite threats from Trump's Justice Department.
Written for “Jack Smith Testifies Before Senate” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 34 other(s) covering the same event.
A Republican senator was warned that his facts were “unvetted” before his attempt to discredit former special counsel Jack Smith unraveled into a viral gaffe, according to a new report.
uncertain
attempt → warn → report
During a congressional hearing on Monday, Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt accused Smith of secretly meeting with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at an NBA game in Georgia.
asserted
Schmitt → accuse → Georgia
Both Smith and Willis had overseen investigations into President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
asserted
Smith → oversee → election
But Schmitt’s allegation rested on an apparent mix-up between the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes during the hearing to the visible shock of onlookers.
asserted
allegation → rest → onlookers
Prior to the blunder, Schmitt had sought Justice Department material that might establish a link between the two investigations, sources told MS NOW.
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sources → seek → NOW
The request came amid a broader GOP effort to portray the criminal probes into Trump as highly coordinated witch hunts.
asserted
request → come → hunts
Schmitt was later given access to text messages related to Smith.
asserted
Schmitt → give → Smith
But committee staff “explicitly warned Schmitt's team that the texts were unvetted and that it was their responsibility to verify the information,” the outlet reported.
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outlet → warn → information
What followed was an embarrassing moment, broadcast live to viewers across the country.
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followed → follow → country
During his questioning, Schmitt said he had obtained text messages showing Smith attended a Hawks game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024.
asserted
Smith → say → February
When Smith appeared confused and said he had not been at the game, Schmitt replied: “I think you’ve already perjured yourself.”
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you → appear → yourself
His aides then briefly held up a poster board that appeared to show text messages indicating seats had been reserved for Smith.
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seats → hold → Smith
Schmitt concluded by calling Smith a “villain” and a “total dirtbag” who “weaponized the Department of Justice against political enemies to an extent that has never happened in the history of this country.”
asserted
that → conclude → country
Soon after, Smith suggested he understood the apparent mix-up.
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he → suggest → up
He said he had attended a women’s college basketball game in Maryland around the time frame Schmitt described — Iowa’s Hawkeyes playing the University of Maryland.
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Hawkeyes → say → Maryland
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, also came to Smith’s defense, criticizing Schmitt for leveling accusations without first verifying the facts.
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Klobuchar → come → facts
“That might be the confusion over the names of the team,” Klobuchar said.
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Klobuchar → say → team
“But perhaps you should’ve looked at it more carefully.”
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you → look → it
“I think that people should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a dirtbag and not get the teams wrong,” she added.
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she → think → someone
Schmitt later said he did not regret his questioning, telling Politico that Smith “has lied before to Congress.”
Smith’s two federal cases against Trump — one involving alleged election interference and the other classified documents — were dismissed after Trump won the 2024 election.
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Trump → say → election
The Georgia case brought by Willis stalled after the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the prosecution in December 2024, citing the appearance of impropriety stemming from her relationship with a special prosecutor.
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Court → bring → prosecutor
A subsequent prosecutor ultimately declined to pursue the case.
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prosecutor → decline → case
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