Overview
- During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Sept. 29, 2026, Sen. Eric Schmitt displayed what he said were text messages placing Special Counsel Jack Smith at an Atlanta Hawks game on Feb. 3, 2024.
- Smith replied that he was not in Atlanta and said he attended the University of Maryland game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Feb. 3, 2024, a claim that was corroborated with game details and confirmation that U.S. Marshals accompanied him.
- Schmitt’s presented evidence contained concrete factual errors, including a misread of arena row labeling, and a staffer quickly removed a poster board of texts after the mismatch became clear.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar publicly challenged Schmitt on the mix‑up and other senators mocked the mistake while some right‑wing commentators continued to praise Schmitt; he did not apologize on the record.
- The gaffe undercuts the immediate Republican effort to portray Smith as abusing authority over Jan. 6 investigations but leaves larger oversight questions about his phone‑record searches and potential DOJ follow‑up unresolved.