Missouri Senator's Failed Attack on Jack Smith Backfires Publicly

Senator Eric Schmitt accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury for allegedly lying about attending an NBA game in Atlanta, but Smith clarified he had attended a college basketball game featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes that same day. Conservative media figures including Sean Hannity and commentator Benny Johnson posted about the supposed gotcha moment before deleting their posts as the error became widely ridiculed online. Observers speculated whether Schmitt's team had coordinated with these media figures in advance, expecting a victory that instead became an embarrassment.

Senator Schmitt's accusation hinged on a fundamental factual error. He claimed Smith had attended an NBA game featuring the Atlanta Hawks on February 3, 2024, and suggested this was evidence of undisclosed coordination with Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis. Smith's straightforward correction—that he had attended a college basketball game involving the University of Iowa Hawkeyes that same day—immediately undermined the senator's premise. Video evidence subsequently corroborated Smith's account.

The incident drew attention partly because of how quickly conservative media figures amplified the claim before retracting it. Sean Hannity and commentator Benny Johnson both posted about Schmitt's allegations, then deleted their posts as the error became publicly apparent. The swift deletions and coordinated timing sparked speculation about whether Schmitt's office had briefed these figures in advance, suggesting an expectation of a successful attack that instead became widely mocked across social media platforms.