Full Breakdown
Senate Showdown Over a Basketball Game: Schmitt’s Perjury Claim and Smith’s Counter
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 29 2026, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard former special counsel Jack Smith testify about his investigations into former President Donald Trump. Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt asked Smith whether he had attended an NBA matchup in Atlanta on February 3 2024 between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks. Schmitt presented a brief poster of text messages he said proved Smith’s presence and warned the former prosecutor that he might be perjuring himself. Smith said he had no recollection of such a game and insisted he was in Maryland that night watching a women’s college basketball contest. The exchange unraveled when it became clear the senator had confused the Atlanta Hawks with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
Background & Context
Jack Smith served as the Justice Department’s special counsel from 2022, overseeing two federal indictments against Trump—one for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and another for mishandling classified documents. Both cases were dismissed after Trump’s 2024 reelection, but the investigations remain a partisan flashpoint. Republican senators have repeatedly accused Smith of weaponizing the Justice Department, while Democrats defend his work as evidence-based. Schmitt, a staunch Trump ally and potential 2028 vice-presidential candidate, sought to link Smith to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was pursuing a separate Georgia election-interference case.
Timeline
- January 6 2021 – Capitol riot that sparked Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation.
- February 3 2024 – Date of the contested basketball events.
- September 29 2026 – Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where Schmitt confronted Smith.
Data & Statistics
- The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Golden State Warriors 141-134 on February 3 2024.
- The University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s team beat the University of Maryland Terrapins 93-85 in College Park, Maryland, the same evening; star guard Caitlin Clark scored 38 points.
- Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley cited 197 subpoenas issued to 34 individuals and 163 businesses, covering records of at least 430 Republican persons and entities.
Official Statements & Responses
Sen. Schmitt framed his questioning as an effort to expose possible coordination between Smith and Fulton County prosecutors, stating his staff possessed “text messages” linking Smith to the Atlanta game and warning that false answers could constitute perjury. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) intervened, pointing out the likely confusion between “Hawks” and “Hawkeyes” and demanding an apology.
Criticism & Opposition
Klobuchar rebuked Schmitt, saying, “Before calling someone a ‘dirtbag,’ the Senator should have had his facts straight,” and called for an apology. Democratic members framed the episode as evidence of GOP reliance on “conspiracy-theory” tactics rather than substantive oversight. Republican critics also questioned the merit of the accusation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Schmitt asserted that his staff’s text-message exhibit proved Smith’s presence in Atlanta, yet the poster was removed before Smith could review it and no transcript has been released. Smith’s team contended that the “hawks” in the texts referred to the Iowa Hawkeyes, aligning with his recollection of the Maryland game. No independent verification of the alleged Atlanta attendance has emerged, leaving the perjury allegation unresolved.
The hearing highlighted the deep partisan divide over Smith’s investigations and underscored how a single factual error—confusing two basketball teams—can dominate national political discourse.