Joe Scarborough Torches GOP Senator Over Gaffe at Jack Smith Hearing
Schmitt pressed Smith about a game in Atlanta, then faced criticism after the exchange turned on a mix-up about the teams.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYRadarOnline is a tabloid-style publisher, and this piece relies heavily on a televised commentary segment and hearing remarks rather than original reporting or multiple independent sources. The article names its author, but the text provides little evidence of a robust reporting or corrections process.
- Source type — Tabloid-style national publisher; its institutional credibility is below that of established general-news outlets.
- Editorial standards — The sensational framing and reliance on a television segment provide limited evidence of rigorous independent reporting.
- Author attribution — The article has a named author.
- Transparency — The article does not provide clear information about its reporting or corrections practices.
The article includes direct quotations and a basic account of the hearing exchange, but offers limited independent sourcing, context, or response beyond Schmitt’s brief post-hearing statement. Its descriptions of the exchange are framed around Scarborough’s criticism.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article recounts the hearing exchange and includes Schmitt’s later explanation, but devotes considerable attention to Scarborough’s personal condemnation and does not provide substantial additional context or competing perspectives.
- Counterarguments presented — Schmitt’s brief post-hearing explanation appears, but there is little fuller response to the criticism.
- Loaded language — The piece uses terms such as “fumble” and foregrounds the “dirtbag” insult.
- Source diversity — The account mainly relies on hearing remarks and Scarborough’s televised commentary.
- Omitted context — The article provides limited context for the hearing and the dispute over the game.
The article frames Schmitt’s hearing exchange as a gaffe and highlights Scarborough’s condemnation, while giving little space to a defense of Schmitt’s questioning. Its framing leans left in its treatment of the dispute.
- Language tone — Phrases such as “fumble” and “caught lying” present Schmitt negatively.
- Headline — The headline emphasizes Scarborough’s attack on the Republican senator.
- Source selection — Scarborough’s criticism receives substantial space, with limited countervailing context.
Eric Schmitt’s Senate hearing exchange with former special counsel Jack Smith turned on a mix-up between the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes. Joe Scarborough criticized Schmitt on his show, while Schmitt later said Smith had confirmed he was not in Atlanta.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Schmitt pressed Smith about whether he had attended an Atlanta Hawks game, linking the date to events involving the Georgia election case against Donald Trump. Smith clarified that the game his staff had discussed was an Iowa women’s basketball game against Maryland, and Amy Klobuchar said the schedule confirmed that matchup.
On his show, Scarborough called Schmitt a “dirtbag” and accused him of continuing to lie after the hearing. Schmitt later said he had asked Smith whether he was in Atlanta and that Smith said he was not.
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SWIPE →Senator questioned former special counsel Jack Smith at a Senate hearing
Television host who criticized Schmitt on his show
Scarborough's version of this story ↗Senator who questioned Smith after Schmitt and checked the game schedule
President whose cases are mentioned in the article
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.
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 64
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