Full Breakdown
Senate Hearing Turns Into Basketball Mix-Up Over Jack Smith’s Alleged Atlanta Trip
By Drooid · · How we work
The Senate Question and Immediate Fallout
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into former President Donald Trump, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) asked Smith whether he had attended an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 3, 2024. Smith denied ever being in Atlanta that night and said he had no recollection of such a game. Schmitt warned Smith, “I don’t think you know that we have this stuff…so you don’t, you know, perjure yourself,” and later asserted, “I think you’ve already perjured yourself.” When Smith requested to see the purported text-message evidence, the staff-displayed poster was quickly removed, and Smith asked, “You just took it down really quick. If I could look at that again?”
Background: The Investigation Context
Jack Smith, appointed special counsel in 2022, leads two probes into alleged election-interference by Trump, including a parallel case in Georgia overseen by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The hearing sought to explore possible coordination between the Justice Department and local prosecutors, a theme Schmitt highlighted by linking the alleged Atlanta game to the day after Willis disclosed a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Game Details Clarify the Confusion
Smith later said the only basketball event he remembered attending around that date was a women’s college game in Maryland featuring Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark. “I recall going to a University of Maryland basketball game where Caitlin Clark was playing right around that time,” he said. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) verified the schedule: Iowa defeated Maryland 93-85 on Feb. 3, 2024, with Clark scoring 30 points. The NBA matchup Schmitt referenced also occurred that night, with the Hawks beating the Warriors in overtime, but Smith’s testimony pertained to the college game.
Official Statements & Responses
- Jack Smith maintained he never met Willis or Wade and that his only travel to a basketball venue that night was the Maryland-Iowa game, accompanied by the U.S. Marshals Service.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar rebuked Schmitt for “having false information” and urged an apology, emphasizing the confusion stemmed from mixing up the “Hawks” and the “Hawkeyes.”
- Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) criticized showing a document without allowing the witness to review it, calling it “a terrible practice.”
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic senators argued Schmitt’s approach amounted to a “ham-handed” effort to misrepresent Smith’s investigation. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called the episode a “false narrative,” while Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) said the questioning lacked a clear purpose. Republican commentators on conservative podcasts praised Schmitt’s attempt, though several posts were later deleted.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Game Identification: Both an NBA game (Hawks vs. Warriors) and a college game (Iowa vs. Maryland) occurred on Feb. 3, 2024. Sources differ on which event Schmitt intended to link to Smith’s alleged Atlanta presence.
- Text-Message Evidence: The displayed poster was removed before Smith could examine it, and no outlet provided the actual messages, leaving uncertainty about the basis of Schmitt’s perjury claim.
What’s Next
Schmitt indicated the text-message evidence would be placed in a file for later review, suggesting potential further action by the committee. Smith said any perjury issue would be left to prosecutors. No formal apology from Schmitt has been issued, and the committee’s next line of questioning is expected to focus on the broader scope of Smith’s investigations.
