Former special counsel Jack Smith faced a hostile Senate Judiciary Committee last week, but the Republican assault—led by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)—unraveled in spectacular fashion when Democrats exposed a glaring factual error in Schmitt's line of attack.
Smith, who oversaw two federal prosecutions of President Trump, has drawn criticism from both sides: progressives fault him for failing to secure convictions before Trump's reelection, while conservatives have cast him as a rogue prosecutor. Yet Schmitt's attempt to brand Smith a perjurer collapsed when he confused the Atlanta Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Hawks-Hawkeyes Fiasco
Schmitt, a potential 2028 vice-presidential contender, grilled Smith about an alleged trip to Atlanta for a Golden State Warriors-Hawks game on Feb. 3, 2024—the day after Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Nathan Wade acknowledged their relationship. When Smith denied attending, Schmitt flashed a poster board and accused him of lying.
But Smith clarified he had actually attended a University of Maryland basketball game that same date, featuring Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) confirmed the detail, noting that Smith was in College Park, not Atlanta. Schmitt's basketball blunder quickly became the hearing's defining moment, with Klobuchar delivering the crushing rebuke: "You had teams wrong, sir."
Smith's Defense and the Broader Context
Smith stood by his work, insisting that "our investigation proved beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation." He added that he would prosecute again regardless of party affiliation. The exchange underscored the deep partisan divisions over Trump's legal troubles, which Smith had to dismiss after Trump's 2024 victory due to DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
The hearing also revisited Smith's strategic decisions, including the delayed Jan. 6 indictment and the Florida filing in the documents case, which critics say allowed Trump to escape accountability. Smith's testimony before the Senate came as Trump pivots to promoting an AI portal and health summit, a reminder of the political backdrop.
Reactions and Fallout
Schmitt's performance drew sharp rebukes from Democrats and even some legal experts. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) accused Schmitt of disgracing himself, while texts reportedly undercut Schmitt's perjury claim. Despite the botched questioning, Schmitt defended his approach, insisting he was exposing a conspiracy between Smith and Georgia prosecutors—a theory that remains unsubstantiated.
For Smith, the hearing was a final chapter in a tumultuous tenure. While his prosecutions failed to reach trial, his report detailed substantial evidence of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. As the political world moves on, the clash highlighted the enduring tensions over accountability and partisanship in the justice system.
