{"id":2672961,"date":"2026-09-29T22:17:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T02:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eric-schmitt-defends-perjury-trap-airball-at-jack-smith-hearing-not-a-mistake\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T22:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T02:21:09","slug":"eric-schmitt-defends-perjury-trap-airball-at-jack-smith-hearing-not-a-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eric-schmitt-defends-perjury-trap-airball-at-jack-smith-hearing-not-a-mistake\/","title":{"rendered":"Eric Schmitt defends perjury trap airball at Jack Smith hearing: \u2018Not a mistake\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Feric-schmitt-defends-perjury-trap-airball-at-jack-smith-hearing-not-a-mistake%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2672961&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) asserted during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that he accurately recalled attending a basketball game involving Caitlin Clark in Maryland on February 3, 2024, and not an NBA game in Georgia. Schmitt suggested that his text messages indicated he was at an Atlanta Hawks game, implying that former special counsel Jack Smith was in Atlanta to meet wiht Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This claim was challenged when Smith confirmed he attended an Iowa vs. Maryland college basketball game in maryland, not an NBA game in Georgia, leading Schmitt to dismiss teh mistake as intentional and justified his questioning based on Department of Justice records. the hearing also featured intense exchanges, with Schmitt calling Smith a \u201ctotal dirtbag\u201d and questioning his whereabouts, while Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar criticized Schmitt for relying on false details and called out his misstatement about the basketball game. The debate occurred amid broader Republican efforts to scrutinize Smith\u2019s inquiry, which Smith defended by stating he did not coordinate with other prosecutors in the case against President trump.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said he made no mistake when he tried to place former special counsel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-smith\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"869\">Jack Smith<\/a> in Atlanta during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-judiciary-committee\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"872\">Senate Judiciary Committee<\/a> hearing, rejecting the idea that he mixed up an NBA game and a college women\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/basketball\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"416\">basketball<\/a> game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the hearing on Tuesday, Schmitt told Smith he had \u201ca series of text messages\u201d that place him at a \u201cHawks\u201d game on Feb. 3, 2024. Schmitt suggested the reference meant an Atlanta Hawks NBA game and questioned whether Smith had traveled to Georgia to meet with then-<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fulton-county\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1978\">Fulton County<\/a> District Attorney Fani Willis.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-a84e4f8d-4c4b-4a8f-8e25-6a8adf9cbc68-style\">@scope (#mos-a84e4f8d-4c4b-4a8f-8e25-6a8adf9cbc68) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sununu-and-shaheen-look-to-keep-dynasties-alive-in-new-hampshire\/\" title=\"Sununu and Shaheen look to keep dynasties alive in New Hampshire\">-grid {     grid-template-columns<\/a>: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-a84e4f8d-4c4b-4a8f-8e25-6a8adf9cbc68-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-a84e4f8d-4c4b-4a8f-8e25-6a8adf9cbc68) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-a84e4f8d-4c4b-4a8f-8e25-6a8adf9cbc68\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attempt fell flat when Smith said the basketball game he recalled attending featured <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/caitlin-clark\/\">Caitlin Clark<\/a> in Maryland, not an NBA game in Georgia. Schmitt appeared to have mixed up the Atlanta Hawks NBA team and the University of Iowa\u2019s women\u2019s basketball team, the Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schmitt was asked about the exchange following the hearing by <em>TMZ<\/em> but dismissed the idea that he made a mistake with his line of questioning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s not a mistake,\u201d Schmitt said. \u201cI asked him if he was in Atlanta. The only NBA game going on, actually the only NCAA men\u2019s game or NBA game with a 7:30 tipoff was in Atlanta. So I asked him if he was in Atlanta that night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked by CNN about the same exchange, Schmitt joked, \u201cWho knew Jack Smith was a Caitlin Clark fan?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Atlanta Hawks hosted the Golden State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 3, while Iowa played the University of Maryland in College Park at 8 p.m. Smith said Department of Justice records could corroborate his attendance at the Iowa-Maryland game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The senator from Missouri had cautioned Smith of perjuring himself when asking about the basketball game. Schmitt concluded his questioning about the former counsel\u2019s whereabouts on Feb. 3 by calling Smith a \u201ctotal dirtbag.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction became a point of contention during the hearing. Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/amy-klobuchar\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"683\">Amy Klobuchar<\/a> (D-MN) accused Schmitt of relying on false information to suggest Smith had secretly traveled to Atlanta, saying Schmitt had mixed up the Hawks and Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Klobuchar also addressed Schmitt\u2019s flub after the hearing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4746785\/atlanta-hawks-iowa-hawkeyes-eric-schmitt-mix-up-jack-smith-hearing\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4746785\/atlanta-hawks-iowa-hawkeyes-eric-schmitt-mix-up-jack-smith-hearing\/\">HAWKS OR HAWKEYES? ERIC SCHMITT\u2019S JACK SMITH GRILLING RUNS INTO BASKETBALL MIX-UP <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe accused Jack Smith of perjury in the moment and said, \u2018Don\u2019t perjure yourself.\u2019 And then he ended his questions by calling him a dirtbag,\u201d Klobuchar said. \u201cThose were his exact words. So my point was, don\u2019t call someone a dirtbag when you don\u2019t have your own facts right.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The questioning was tied to broader Republican scrutiny of whether Smith\u2019s federal investigation coordinated with Willis\u2019s separate prosecution of President Donald Trump. Smith testified that he did not meet with Willis or Nathan Wade, the prosecutor who led the Georgia racketeering case against Trump.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Schmitt insists he didn&#8217;t confuse NBA and college game during hearing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2672962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-2297723221.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[42964,86477,38118,86476,36160],"class_list":["post-2672961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-eric-schmitt","tag-jack-smith-hearing","tag-legal-controversy","tag-perjury-trap","tag-political-controversy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-2297723221.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672961"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2672965,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672961\/revisions\/2672965"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2672962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2672961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2672961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}