Story perspectives

Klobuchar Corrects Schmitt’s Basketball Perjury Claim Against Smith

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 2:59 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Poster Pulled Before Review

Senator Eric Schmitt questioned special counsel Jack Smith at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, accusing him of perjury over a basketball-game attendance.
The hearing revealed Schmitt’s mistaken identification of the game and suggested a partisan effort to politicize the committee.
Senator Amy Klobuchar corrected Schmitt’s team error and requested the poster be shown.
Schmitt’s staff displayed a poster with alleged texts, then removed it before Smith saw it.

Right

Game Attendance Dispute

Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned special counsel Jack Smith at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, accusing him of perjury over a basketball game.
Schmitt defended questioning, dismissed claims, called Smith a “total dirtbag,” warned of coordination between Biden administration, DOJ and Georgia prosecutors.
The texts claimed Smith attended an Atlanta Hawks–Golden State Warriors game on Feb. 3, 2024.
Smith said DOJ records could confirm presence at Maryland-Iowa women's game featuring Caitlin Clark.

Center

Misidentifying Hawks Game

Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned Jack Smith, Special Counsel, at a Senate Judiciary hearing Tuesday, alleging perjury over a basketball game.
The hearing showed Schmitt confused the Atlanta Hawks with the Maryland-Iowa Hawkeyes, misidentifying the game he claimed Smith attended.
Jack Smith denied being in Atlanta and said he attended the Maryland-Iowa women’s game on Feb 3 2024.
Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed the Maryland-Iowa game took place in Maryland, with Iowa winning 93-85.

Blindspot

Sen. Eric Schmitt presented his questioning of special counsel Jack Smith as reflecting Republican worries that the Biden administration, the Justice Department and Georgia prosecutors coordinated in the Trump probe.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning and Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In December 1998 the House Judiciary Committee, after Ken Starr’s independent-counsel investigation, voted 228-206 to impeach President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice. The Starr Report, costing about $70 million, sparked a partisan showdown that still shapes congressional oversight. Today, Senator Eric Schmitt’s questioning of Special Counsel Jack Smith in a February 2024 hearing echoes those earlier perjury accusations and partisan tactics.

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Poster Pulled Before Review

Senator Eric Schmitt questioned special counsel Jack Smith at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, accusing him of perjury over a basketball-game attendance.
The hearing revealed Schmitt’s mistaken identification of the game and suggested a partisan effort to politicize the committee.
Senator Amy Klobuchar corrected Schmitt’s team error and requested the poster be shown.
Schmitt’s staff displayed a poster with alleged texts, then removed it before Smith saw it.

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