Key Points
Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 29, 2026.
Sen. Schmitt's attempt to place Smith at an Atlanta Hawks game backfired when evidence showed it was an Iowa Hawkeyes game.
Republicans attacked Smith with personal insults rather than substantive questions about his investigations.
Democrats defended Smith's prosecutorial integrity and noted he had volunteered to testify for nearly a year.
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, September 29, defending his two indictments against President Trump over the 2020 election and classified documents. Republicans attacked Smith with personal insults and unsubstantiated claims, but the hearing exposed significant weaknesses in GOP allegations, including a failed attempt to place Smith at an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024.
The basketball mixup that exposed GOP strategy
Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri claimed text messages showed Jack Smith attended a Warriors-Hawks game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024, the day after Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis admitted to an affair. Schmitt urged Smith not to “perjure yourself” and called him a “dirtbag.” When Democrats forced Schmitt to show the evidence, the poster revealed the texts actually referenced an Iowa Hawkeyes game, not the Atlanta Hawks. Smith had no recollection of being in Atlanta at all.
Smith defends his prosecutorial decisions
Smith told senators he would not be silenced “by continued threats of prosecution” over his investigation. He stood by his decision to bring charges, stating his investigation uncovered substantive evidence. “The status, power, prominence or political affiliation of the subject of an investigation must play no role in the decision to investigate, prosecute or decline to prosecute,” Smith said in his opening statement.
Republican senators resort to personal attacks
The hearing devolved into insults rather than substantive questioning. Louisiana Republican John Kennedy asked Smith “What does the word arrogant mean?” and ended by telling him “You make me want to throw up in my mouth.” Schmitt called Smith a “dirtbag.” Republicans have struggled mightily to substantiate Trump’s desire for Smith to be charged criminally, according to reporting on the hearing.
Democrats defend Smith’s investigation integrity
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said the attacks on Smith were “petty, personal, and political.” Durbin noted Smith had offered to testify publicly under oath for almost a year before Republicans finally called him. “There was nothing untoward about Special Counsel Smith and his fellow prosecutors conducting this investigation,” Durbin said in his opening statement.
Final Thoughts
Smith’s testimony exposed the weakness of Republican allegations against him. The basketball mixup, combined with personal attacks rather than substantive questioning, suggests GOP efforts to discredit the Trump investigations lack factual foundation.
FAQs
Smith defended his two indictments against President Trump over the 2020 election and classified documents, stating his investigation uncovered substantive evidence of serious crimes.
Schmitt tried to imply Smith was in communication with Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis. The claim backfired when the evidence showed Smith was at an Iowa Hawkeyes game, not the Atlanta Hawks.
Sen. Durbin called the attacks “petty, personal, and political” and noted Smith had volunteered to testify under oath for almost a year before Republicans finally called him.
Sen. Kennedy asked Smith about the meaning of arrogance and said he made him want to vomit. Sen. Schmitt called Smith a “dirtbag.”
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
About Author
Danny Kontos
Co FounderDanny Kontos has been a stock investor since 2007 and co-founded Meyka in 2023. He keeps a small, focused portfolio and only moves when the numbers are hard to argue with. He has waited years on a single position before. Before Meyka, he ran a web hosting company and a mortgage lending platform, so he knows what a well-run business actually looks like under the hood. This article did not come from a news cycle. It came from someone who has been watching this space for a long time.
What brings you to Meyka?
Pick what interests you most and we will get you started.
I'm here to read news
Find more articles like this one
I'm here to research stocks
Ask Meyka Analyst about any stock
I'm here to track my Portfolio
Get daily updates and alerts (coming March 2026)