Jack Smith Defends Trump Charges as Senator’s Perjury Claim Falls Apart
Schmitt’s accusation that Smith lied about attending an Atlanta Hawks game appeared to rest on a confusion with an Iowa game.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe New York Times is an established national newsroom with named reporters, detailed reporting and a published correction in this article. Its reporting includes accounts from both parties at the hearing and relevant legal context.
- Track record — An established national newspaper with a long record of original reporting.
- Editorial standards — The article identifies a specific correction and explains the error.
- Transparency — Named reporters and a contributing reporter are credited.
- Source type — National news outlet with substantial reporting and legal context.
The article gives detailed accounts of the hearing, attributes claims to the speakers, and supplies context about the subpoenas and investigations. It includes arguments from Republicans, Democrats and Smith, though it does not extensively develop every legal argument.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article presents criticism from Republicans, Smith’s responses and Democratic defenses, and explains the dispute over the subpoenas. Its emphasis and framing are critical of the basketball-based accusation, while some legal arguments receive limited detail.
- Source diversity — Includes remarks from senators of both parties and Smith’s testimony.
- Counterarguments presented — Reports Republican objections and Smith’s and Democrats’ responses.
- Omitted context — Provides legal context on the speech-or-debate issue but does not fully develop the competing legal arguments.
- Loaded language — Some characterizations are pointed, but much of the account is attributed to the hearing participants.
The article uses a largely reportorial tone and includes statements from Republicans, Democrats and Smith. Its account is especially skeptical of Schmitt’s accusation, but the framing is tied to the reported confusion over the game rather than a consistent partisan position.
- Language tone — Mostly factual language, with the description of Schmitt’s accusation as unraveling supported by the hearing exchange.
- Source selection — Includes views from Republican and Democratic senators and Smith.
- Framing — The story centers the failed perjury accusation while also covering broader disputes about Smith’s investigation.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Eric Schmitt accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury over an Atlanta Hawks game, but Smith said he had attended an Iowa Hawkeyes game instead. The exchange became a flashpoint in a broader partisan dispute over Smith’s investigation of Donald Trump.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Eric Schmitt accused Jack Smith of lying about attending an Atlanta Hawks game and suggested Smith might have met with Atlanta prosecutors. Smith said he had attended an Iowa Hawkeyes game at the University of Maryland, and the article reports that Schmitt appeared to have confused the teams. Schmitt continued to call Smith a “dirtbag” and left the hearing.
The hearing also addressed Smith’s subpoenas for lawmakers’ phone records as investigators examined Donald Trump’s efforts to block certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Republicans argued the subpoenas reflected improper prosecutorial ambition; Smith said his team sought records to investigate Trump’s conduct, and Democrats pointed to the indictments brought against Trump. Smith said he would bring charges on the same facts regardless of a president’s party and acknowledged that prosecutors need to communicate more publicly.
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Senator who invited Smith to respond to Schmitt’s accusation
Late senator whose phone records were subpoenaed during Smith’s investigation
Attorney general who previously suggested the Justice Department might investigate Smith
President and subject of the investigations Smith described
Former president whose 2020 election victory was the subject of Trump’s pressure campaign
Senator who criticized Republican attacks on Smith
Senator who questioned Smith about a subpoena for her brother’s phone records
Senator who helped Schmitt display text messages during the hearing
Senator who called the hearing a farce
Senator who challenged Smith over subpoenas for lawmakers’ phone records
Part of a bigger story
12 OUTLETSFormer special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his investigations of Donald Trump. Eric Schmitt questioned him about an alleged Atlanta basketball-game visit; Smith said he attended a different game. Left-leaning outlets portray Schmitt’s questioning as a failed attack built on an apparent mix-up, and stress that he continued defending his accusation. Center outlets focus on the basketball-game discrepancy while also covering the broader hearing about Smith’s investigations and subpoenas. Right-leaning outlets emphasize Republican challenges to Smith over his Trump investigations, while also recounting the disputed basketball-game allegation.
- ARTICLES
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 69
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