# Schmitt's Perjury Attempt Fails > Senator Schmitt accused Jack Smith of perjury over a basketball game he never attended. - Title: Schmitt's Perjury Attempt Fails · Slate Magazine | Shortify - Summary: Senator Schmitt accused Jack Smith of perjury over a basketball game he never attended. Senator Schmitt's claim that Jack Smith perjured himself by attending… - Keywords: eric schmitt, jack smith, fani willis, atlanta hawks, iowa hawkeyes, senate hearing, perjury, congress, trump, special counsel, Schmitt's, Attempt - Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/watch-republican-eric-schmitt-jack-smith-perjury-hawks.html?via=rss - Author: Shirin Ali - Published: 2026-09-29T21:13:14+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: eric schmitt, jack smith, fani willis, atlanta hawks, iowa hawkeyes, senate hearing, perjury, congress, trump, special counsel ## Schmitt's Perjury Claim Senator Eric Schmitt accused Jack Smith of perjury during a Senate hearing by claiming text messages showed Smith attended an Atlanta Hawks game on Feb 3, 2024. > So your testimony today is that you did not go to an Atlanta Hawks game on Feb. 3, 2024, is that correct? ## Smith's Confusion Smith admitted he had no recollection of attending any Hawks game but was unsure about his whereabouts on February third, 2024. > I have no recollection of that. ## Team Name Mixup Schmitt confused the Atlanta Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes, who played a women's college basketball game in Maryland on February third, 2024. > It was because Caitlin Clark was coming to Maryland to play. ## Schmitt's Blunder Schmitt called Smith a 'dirtbag' after claiming Smith was involved in Georgia election interference, despite Smith attending a University of Maryland game. > I’m going to begin my questions now, but I think people should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a 'dirtbag'. ## Klobuchar's Correction Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed Schmitt's team name confusion and that Smith attended a University of Maryland basketball game with Caitlin Clark. > It was because Caitlin Clark was coming to Maryland to play. ## Schmitt's Aftermath Schmitt doubled down on perjury claims after the hearing, insisting Smith lied under oath and refusing to apologize. > I think you’ve already perjured yourself. ## Schmitt's Defense Schmitt claimed his role was to 'ask questions' and blamed Smith for 'lied under oath time and time again' despite the confusion. > I presented him with text messages about him wanting to meet with people that could have obviously been related to the prosecution. ## Smith's Background Smith previously handled Trump's classified documents and 2020 election cases before resigning as special counsel days before Trump's second inauguration. > It has been years since Smith first unveiled his two indictments of Trump. ## Republican Loyalty Republicans have supported Smith's prosecutions despite his resignation, aiming to find perjury inconsistencies in his testimony. > The GOP has refused to let Smith go, hoping to find a way to prosecute him for daring to hold Trump and his allies accountable. ## Schmitt's Mistake Schmitt incorrectly stated the only basketball game on February third, 2024, was in Atlanta, when Smith attended a Maryland women's game. > For a U.S. senator to have false information and imply, based on a confusion about the name of a team, which I knew, knowing my Midwestern sports, that you were in another city, that you were somehow involved that day in what was happening in Georgia. ## Schmitt's Stance Schmitt continued to push perjury claims despite the team name confusion, aiming to keep Smith under scrutiny. > I think you’ve already perjured yourself. ## Key takeaway Senator Schmitt's claim that Jack Smith perjured himself by attending an Atlanta Hawks game was false due to a team name confusion.