Full Breakdown
Jack Smith’s Senate Testimony: A Basketball Mix-up Amid Probes of Trump
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On February 3, 2024, Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) asked former special counsel Jack Smith whether he had attended an Atlanta Hawks–Golden State Warriors game, implying a link to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s election-interference case. Smith denied ever being in Atlanta and said he recalled attending a women’s college basketball game in Maryland that night. The exchange dominated the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which also covered Smith’s subpoenas for lawmakers’ phone-call toll records and his two dismissed federal indictments against President Donald Trump.
Background & Context
Smith was appointed special counsel in 2022 to oversee two investigations of Trump: a alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and alleged mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both cases were dismissed after Trump’s 2024 reelection, and Smith left the Justice Department in early 2025. Republicans have accused him of “weaponizing” the Justice Department; Democrats defend his work as nonpartisan.
Basketball Game Question
Schmitt presented a poster he said showed text messages indicating Smith’s presence at the Atlanta game. Smith replied that he might have flown through Atlanta but had no recollection of a Hawks game. He clarified he had been at the University of Maryland’s arena to watch the University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team, featuring star Caitlin Clark, on February 3, 2024. The Hawkeyes defeated Maryland 93-85, with Clark scoring 38 points. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) noted that Schmitt had confused the “Hawks” with the “Hawkeyes” and called for an apology.
Official Statements & Responses
- “I made these decisions without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.” — Jack Smith
- Smith emphasized that the subpoenaed toll records only revealed call dates, lengths and numbers, not content, and were needed to document potential coordination surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. “Our nondisclosure orders were not predicated on the idea that members of Congress or this committee would commit acts of obstruction.” — Jack Smith
- Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called Smith’s actions an “abuse of authority” targeting Republicans.
- Democratic ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) described the accusations as “petty, personal and political” and a “smokescreen” to distract from Trump’s conduct.
Criticism & Opposition
Republican senators pressed Smith on the legality of obtaining phone-call logs and alleged his team accessed text messages from 44 lawmakers, a claim Smith denied, stating his team never “spied on anyone.” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) labeled Smith’s investigations a partisan effort to keep Trump off the ballot.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Some GOP members cite a July disclosure that Smith’s team reviewed text messages from 44 lawmakers, while Smith maintains his answers pertained only to toll records that lack content. The discrepancy remains unresolved.
- The exact nature of the text-message evidence Schmitt displayed was not released, leaving uncertainty about what the messages actually referenced.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I will not be silenced by the continued threats of prosecution from the president or others.” — Jack Smith
- “What would you say if I had a series of text messages from your team that said you were in Atlanta at a Warrior-Hawks game on Feb. 3, 2024, the day after Willis and Wade announced their affair?” — Eric Schmitt
- “I think that people should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a dirtbag, and not get the teams wrong,” — Amy Klobuchar
