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A tense Senate exchange took an unexpected turn as Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned former special counsel Jack Smith about an alleged 2024 trip to Atlanta and a supposed Atlanta Hawks basketball game involving Fani Willis.

Smith said he did not recall going to Atlanta during that period and firmly denied attending a Hawks game or meeting Willis. The questioning appeared to hinge on confusion between an Atlanta Hawks game and an Iowa Hawkeyes basketball game Smith said he had attended in Maryland to watch Caitlin Clark.

The exchange became a point of contention during the hearing, with Sen. Mazie Hirono arguing that the questioning presented a “false narrative” about Smith being at a game he said he never attended.

The episode has drawn attention because Schmitt was attempting to connect Smith and Willis, both of whom were involved in separate investigations or prosecutions related to Donald Trump. Smith's testimony, however, disputed the specific Atlanta meeting scenario described during the questioning.

Watch the full breakdown of the Senate exchange, the basketball-game confusion, Jack Smith's response, and why the moment became a major point of discussion.

#EricSchmitt #JackSmith #FaniWillis #SenateHearing #JackSmithHearing #EricSchmittHearing #DonaldTrump #TrumpInvestigation #FaniWillis #AtlantaHawks #IowaHawkeyes #CaitlinClark #Senate #USPolitics #PoliticalNews #BreakingNews #Congress #SenateNews #TrumpNews #JackSmithTestimony

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Transcript
00:00Did you go to an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on February 3rd, 2024?
00:09I'm sorry, could you say that again?
00:11Did you go to an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on February 3rd, 2024?
00:17I recall going to a University of Maryland basketball game where Caitlin Clark was playing.
00:24Right around that time, and the Marshal Service was there with me.
00:28You could check if that was the exact date.
00:30It was Maryland playing Iowa.
00:33Could it then be that University of Iowa is the Hawkeyes?
00:36Could that be it?
00:37And maybe before we show this kind of thing.
00:42I know, but if he was at an Iowa game, is that correct?
00:46It was because Caitlin Clark was coming to Maryland to play.
00:50I know, but that might be the confusion over the names of the team, but perhaps you should have looked
00:56at it more carefully.
00:57The limited time I have left, I do want to ask you about a couple of things.
01:02Did you go to an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on February 3rd, 2024?
01:12I'm sorry, could you say that again?
01:14Did you go to an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on February 3rd, 2024?
01:21What city would that be in?
01:23Atlanta.
01:24No.
01:24Okay.
01:28So your testimony today is that you did not go to a Hawks game on February 3rd, 2024.
01:33Is that correct?
01:35I have no recollection of that.
01:37Okay.
01:37Is it your testimony that you were not in Atlanta on February 3rd, 2024?
01:44Let me just give you a little context.
01:46Yeah.
01:46The day before Fannie Willis came clean with her affair with the prosecutor, you know the Atlanta prosecutor that was
01:52also trying to get Trump, the next day were you in Atlanta?
01:56I do not believe so.
01:58Okay.
01:58Did you ever go to Atlanta during your time as special counsel?
02:05I really don't think so.
02:07It's possible I flew through the Atlanta airport on the way to Florida, but I do not have a recollection
02:13of going to Atlanta.
02:15I definitely did not go to a Hawks game.
02:18I'm sure of that.
02:19Did you ever meet Nathan Wade or Fannie Willis in your time as special counsel?
02:24No.
02:25What would you say if I had a series of text messages from your team that said you were in
02:29Atlanta at a Warrior Hawks game on February 3rd, 2024, the day after Willis and Wade announced their affair?
02:42I don't think you know that we have this stuff.
02:45So I'll give you a second to process it so you don't, you know, perjure yourself.
02:49You just took it down really quick.
02:51If I could look at that again.
02:53Okay.
02:53Mr. Chairman, can we give the witness a copy so he can see what's being read to him?
02:59Well, I think you've already sufficiently answered.
03:01I want to run through.
03:03We'll put it in a follow-up.
03:04You can respond.
03:05I think you've already perjured yourself.
03:07But did you or your office.
03:11Can we see it?
03:12Can we see it?
03:12Did you or your office seek.
03:14This is my time.
03:15Senator, can we see.
03:16If you want to use your time to criticize my question, go ahead, ranking member.
03:19Did you or your office seek the contents of members of Congress's emails or text messages?
03:30We sought toll record subpoenas that did not contain the content of calls.
03:37I am also aware that we sought White House phones for individuals who are relevant to our investigation.
03:46Government phones in which they had no expectation of privacy.
03:49Let me ask you this way.
03:50Did you seek the content of messages from members of Congress by other means?
03:56Meaning the subpoenas you sent to the other 197 organizations asking for communications from members of Congress?
04:03Because you said you didn't as relates to members of Congress.
04:06But did you do it through another means?
04:08The other 197 subpoenas?
04:11I can't address every subpoena we issued.
04:14What I can say is that I am aware that in the example of Congressman Perry, prosecutors, this is before
04:23I was special counsel, did in fact seek a search warrant and receive judicial authority for a search warrant of
04:30his telephone.
04:30So that definitely happened.
04:32Thank you, Mr. Smith.
04:33In closing, I just want to say in the famous words of the chief of the secret police under Stalin
04:39of show me the man, I'll show you the crime.
04:43You may think you're a hero in this story, but let me tell you something.
04:47You're the villain.
04:48You've done so much damage.
04:50As a former prosecutor, I can say there's so much damage the trust and faith people have in our system.
04:54You have weaponized the Department of Justice against political enemies to an extent that has never happened in the history
05:00of this country.
05:01You will go down as a total dirtbag.
05:05I yield my time.
05:07Mr. Chairman.
05:07Before I call on Senator Klobuchar, without objection, I'll enter into the record emails showing the FBI of all agencies
05:16raised concern with the DOJ that there was a sufficient probable cause to obtain the search warrant at Mar-a
05:25-Lago.
05:25Senator Klobuchar.
05:28Mr. Chairman, then you're going to be able to allow the witness to see this fast poster board that we
05:35saw?
05:35Is that going to be included then so the witness can look at that at some point here before the
05:41hearing's over?
05:42Because we couldn't see what it said.
05:44And I'm a former prosecutor, too, and I have never seen anyone just say, what do you think of this,
05:49and put it down.
05:55We need a copy of the actual text.
05:59Can you give the witness the courtesy of giving him a copy of that?
06:09Can the witness be allowed to comment now that he can see the chart?
06:17Should we maybe give him the chance to look at it and then go back at it so he can
06:21see it?
06:22I think I can address it.
06:22Okay, do you want to, this isn't in my time, but yes, Mr. Smith, please address it.
06:27Just very briefly, and if this is the correct basketball game, I recall going to a University of Maryland basketball
06:37game where Caitlin Clark was playing.
06:40Right around that time, and the Marshal Service was there with me, you could check if that was the exact
06:46date.
06:47It was Maryland playing Iowa, I think, February of 2024.
06:52But again, you could check that out if that's what we're talking about.
06:56University of Iowa.
06:57Is it the Hawkeyes?
06:58Yes.
07:00Could it then be that University of Iowa is the Hawkeyes?
07:04Could that be it?
07:05And maybe before we show this kind of thing, I know, but if he was at an Iowa game, is
07:13that correct?
07:14It was because Caitlin Clark was coming to Maryland to play.
07:17And so we went to the game.
07:18I know, but that might be the confusion over the names of the team, but perhaps you should have looked
07:23at it more carefully.
07:25Whose questioning is this, by the way, Mr. Chairman?
07:28Are you using your time, Senator?
07:30Is this what this is?
07:31Are we just having, like, an open session here?
07:33I will begin my questions.
07:34I'm just in shock that when you are calling a witness a dirtbag and showing him these things.
07:40I presented him with text messages about him wanting to meet with people that could have obviously been related to
07:47the prosecution that was coordinated with his office in Atlanta.
07:51I will, I'm going to begin my questions now, but I think that people should have their facts straight before
07:55they accuse someone of being a dirtbag and not get the teams wrong.
08:00I stand by that statement.
08:02You had the teams wrong, sir.
08:04Mr. Chairman.
08:07Proceed with your question.
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