Senator Accuses Jack Smith Of Perjury Because Missouri Lawmaker Too Dumb To Know About The Iowa Hawkeyes
Schmitt accused Jack Smith of perjury over an alleged trip to an Atlanta basketball game and later defended his account.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYAbove the Law is a legal trade publication with an identifiable author, but this piece is an openly opinionated column rather than straight reporting. Its established niche context supports a moderate institutional credibility assessment.
- Source type — Legal trade publication with a niche audience and recognizable editorial identity.
- Author attribution — The article names Joe Patrice, a senior editor at the publication.
- Editorial standards — The piece is clearly opinionated and does not present itself as neutral reporting.
The article includes specific hearing exchanges and attributes Schmitt’s post-hearing remarks to HuffPost, but its argument relies heavily on insults, sarcasm and selected social-media material. It offers little source diversity or independent verification beyond the described exchange.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The column is overwhelmingly critical of Schmitt and Republican participants, using the author’s own judgments and offering little space for a competing account. Schmitt’s remarks are quoted, but the piece does not meaningfully develop his perspective.
- Opinion vs reporting — The author’s commentary and judgments dominate the account.
- Loaded language — Insults and ridicule are used extensively to characterize the lawmakers.
- Source diversity — The story draws mainly on the hearing exchange and selected quoted remarks, without a developed range of perspectives.
The article uses strongly negative language about Schmitt and Republicans and frames Klobuchar’s intervention approvingly. Its tone and selection make the piece strongly left-leaning.
- Language tone — Repeated insults and derisive descriptions target Schmitt, Kennedy and Republican officials.
- Framing — The story presents the incident as a Republican failure and treats the accusation as a humiliation.
- Source selection — The narrative emphasizes evidence and reactions that undermine Schmitt, with little countervailing perspective.
Above the Law says Sen. Eric Schmitt accused former special prosecutor Jack Smith of perjury over a supposed Atlanta basketball game, but Smith had attended an Iowa game in Maryland. The article criticizes Schmitt’s accusation and describes other senators’ reactions during the hearing.
At a hearing, Schmitt accused Smith of perjury after saying he had texts placing Smith at an Atlanta basketball game. The article says Smith was instead in Maryland at an Iowa Hawkeyes game, and reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar brought the board back into view so Smith could respond.
After the hearing, Schmitt told HuffPost he did not know whether Smith was lying, while maintaining that Atlanta was the only NBA or men’s college basketball game that night at 7:30. The author sharply criticizes Schmitt’s handling of the accusation and also criticizes Sen. John Kennedy for helping with the presentation.
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7 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 51
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SWIPE →Senator who brought the board back into view and challenged Schmitt’s account
Former president mentioned in background about Schmitt’s earlier legal challenge
Senator who helped Schmitt present the board during the hearing
Senator mentioned in the article’s account of reactions to Schmitt’s conduct
Part of a bigger story
21 OUTLETSAt a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Eric Schmitt questioned Jack Smith about whether Smith attended an Atlanta Hawks game and accused him of perjury. Amy Klobuchar said Schmitt may have confused the Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes; Smith had attended an Iowa-Maryland game in Maryland. Left-leaning outlets frame the exchange as Schmitt's mistaken accusation and emphasize his continued defense and the political fallout. Center outlets focus on the team confusion and criticism, with some connecting it to Schmitt's political profile. Right-leaning outlets split: one presents Schmitt's questions as catching Smith, while the other foregrounds Lawrence O'Donnell's criticism of Schmitt.
- ARTICLES
- 51
- OUTLETS
- 21
- AVG CRED
- 64
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