Missouri senator has not apologized for mistaking 'Hawkeyes' and 'Hawks' in gotcha moment gone wrong

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.

—

U.S Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri is making national headlines after wondering aloud whether former Special Prosecutor Jack Smith committed perjury during a Senate hearing Tuesday — only for the accusation to fall apart over a case of mistaken basketball teams.

The viral moment has not led to an apology from Schmitt as of Wednesday afternoon.

Schmitt questioned Smith about text messages suggesting Smith attended a Hawks basketball game. Smith said he had no recollection of being in Atlanta for an NBA game in 2024.

"I do not have a recollection of going to Atlanta," Smith said. "I definitely did not go to a Hawks game. I'm sure of that."

Schmitt said he believed Smith lied under oath and later called him a "dirtbag."

"You will go down as a total dirtbag," Schmitt said in the hearing.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar later helped clarify the confusion. Smith had attended an Iowa Hawkeyes women's college basketball game in Maryland — watching then-Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark.

The mix-up between "Hawkeyes" and "Hawks" unraveled Schmitt's attempt to link Smith to a particular prosecutor in Atlanta.

In a subsequent interview with a reporter in Washington, Schmitt did not apologize.

"Who knew Jack Smith was a Caitlin Clark fan," Schmitt stated. "Listen, we had information he was at a basketball game. There was only one NBA game that night with a 7:30 tipoff. I asked and he answered the question. That's what these hearings are for; you ask questions, you get answers."

Schmitt's team did not return a call and email for comment Wednesday.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

—