U.S Sen. Eric Schmitt, former special counsel Jack Smith, spar in Congressional testimony

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two indictments against now-President Donald Trump in 2023, testified in front of Congress again on Tuesday — this time, to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Smith’s testimony comes as Republicans continue to probe the investigations into Trump and as some in the party, including the president, have pushed for often-unspecified criminal charges to be brought against Smith.

Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri crafted an apparent conspiracy theory about Smith being tied to the prosecution of Trump in Fulton County, Georgia. To substantiate his theory, Schmitt cited text messages he suggested showed Smith had been at an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024 – the day after Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade admitted to an affair.

Watch the full seven-minute exchange in the video player below.

Smith appeared dumbfounded, though. He denied going to a Hawks game and said he had no recollection of even being in Atlanta.

“What would you say if I had a series of text messages from your team that said you were in Atlanta at a Warriors-Hawks game on February 3, 2024 – the day after Willis and Wade announced their affair?” Schmitt said.

Schmitt went big on the allegation, telling Smith, “I don’t think you know that we have this stuff.” He urged Smith not to “perjure yourself.” He later called Smith a “dirtbag.” He later told the “Charlie Kirk Show” that he was just asking questions and seeing whether Smith would ensnare himself.

Eventually, Democrats got Schmitt to allow Smith to actually review the evidence – a poster featuring the texts in question. In one of them, a fellow prosecutor asks about a seat being reserved for Smith. The poster showed the Atlanta Hawks’ arena.

But by this point, Smith seemed to put it together. He said he was not at a game featuring the Atlanta Hawks, but rather the University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team – which then featured Caitlin Clark – at the University of Maryland in the Washington, DC, area.

Smith’s recollection matches up with a game played that day.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, after clearing up the matter, said Schmitt should apologize.

Schmitt’s office has not responded a request for comment.

At the hearing, he maintained that the texts “could have obviously been related to the prosecution” in Fulton County. He said he stood by calling Smith a “dirtbag.”

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