WASHINGTON — Senator Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, faced public scrutiny during a Senate hearing Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, after he attempted to link former special counsel Jack Smith to an alleged coordination of investigations against former President Donald Trump.
Schmitt questioned Smith about attending an Atlanta Hawks-Golden State Warriors NBA game in Georgia during February 2024. The senator suggested Smith was in Atlanta the day after the affair between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and one of her lead prosecutors was revealed, implying a connection between the two Trump investigations.
However, Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, quickly intervened to correct Schmitt's claims. Klobuchar said Schmitt's facts were inaccurate and that Smith had not attended an NBA game in Atlanta.
Smith confirmed under Klobuchar's questioning that he had not gone to an Atlanta Hawks game. He clarified that he had attended a women's college basketball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Maryland Terrapins.
Klobuchar, addressing Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who chaired the hearing, provided specific details of the game. She confirmed the Iowa Hawkeyes played Maryland on Feb. 3, 2024, with Iowa winning 93-85. Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes' star player, scored more than 30 points in that game.
The game, as confirmed by Smith and Klobuchar, took place in Maryland, not Georgia. Smith said the Marshal Service was present with him at the University of Maryland basketball game.
Schmitt's staff and Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, displayed a poster during the hearing that included text messages purporting to confirm a ticket and seat for Smith. Despite the poster, Smith reiterated that the game was between the University of Maryland and Iowa Hawkeyes in College Park, Maryland.
Klobuchar criticized Schmitt for presenting false information and for implying Smith was in another city to be involved in Georgia events. She said such implications, including calling Smith a “dirtbag,” warranted an apology from Schmitt.
Legal analyst Marcy Wheeler commented on the exchange, saying Schmitt “wheezed with laughter.” CNN's Aaron Blake characterized the incident as a significant apparent misfire for Schmitt. Sam Stein of The Bulwark described it as a humiliating moment for the Missouri senator.
