Republicans Grill Former Special Counsel Jack Smith at Tense Senate Hearing

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump in 2023, testified before the Senate judiciary committee on Tuesday in a hearing marked by heated exchanges and unusual moments.

Missouri senator Eric Schmitt accused Smith of perjury, claiming he attended an Atlanta Hawks basketball game on February 3, 2024, and suggesting he may have met with former Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who brought separate state charges against Trump. Smith denied attending any Hawks game, later clarifying he had watched a University of Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland to see player Caitlin Clark. Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar criticized Schmitt for presenting false information and demanded an apology.

Louisiana senator John Kennedy pressed Smith over unsubstantiated claims that then-president Joe Biden or his staff directed attorney general Merrick Garland to prosecute Trump. Kennedy asked Smith whether he believed in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, and at one point told him he made him want to throw up.

Texas senator Ted Cruz criticized Smith for subpoenaing phone records of members of Congress during the investigations, suggesting the move targeted Republicans. South Carolina senator Darline Graham accused Smith of bullying her late brother, senator Lindsey Graham, through subpoenas, but Smith responded that Lindsey Graham had likely been a potential witness rather than a target, noting he did not believe the 2020 election was stolen.

Both cases against Trump — over efforts to overturn the 2020 election and over the handling of classified documents — were dismissed before reaching trial. Democratic senators, including Cory Booker and Chris Coons, called the hearing a farce, pointed to the removal of justice department staff who had worked with Smith, and referenced the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. In his opening statement, Smith said he approached the investigations without partisan bias and would pursue the same charges against a president of either party given the same evidence.