Above: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.). Sen. Dirtbag? You decide. (Photo illustration: the egg is ours.)
This timeline is about Sen. Eric Schmitt, Republican of Missouri: the morning he was floated as a 2028 running mate for Vice President JD Vance, and the hearing where he accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury over an Atlanta Hawks game.
A timeline of September 29, 2026, assembled from the reporting linked below. Facts only — draw your own conclusions.
~6:00 AM
Axios publishes a profile of Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), reporting he “has grown close to Vice President Vance and is seen as a top prospect to become a potential 2028 running mate,” and that Vance views him as “trustworthy, intelligent, articulate and a deft political operator.” The piece is bylined by Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei.
Later that morning — Senate Judiciary Committee
Former special counsel Jack Smith testifies. Schmitt tells Smith: “What would you say if I had a series of text messages from your team that said you were in Atlanta at a Hawks game?” — presenting it as evidence Smith traveled to Atlanta in February 2024 and, by implication, met with Fulton County DA Fani Willis. Schmitt frames the alleged trip as grounds for a perjury accusation. (NBC News, Washington Post)
Minutes later
Smith responds that he did not attend an Atlanta Hawks NBA game: he attended a University of Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball game — played in Maryland, against the University of Maryland — because Caitlin Clark was playing. (CNN, Slate)
During and after the exchange
Per Mediaite’s accounting: Sean Hannity posts the exchange quote on X — and later deletes the post. Rich Sementa, producer of The Mark Levin Show, posts praise for Schmitt’s moment — and later deletes it. Benny Johnson posts that Schmitt “CAUGHT Jack Smith perjuring himself,” referring to “a Warriors Hawks game.” Accounts including Sidney Powell, Tony Shaffer, and Charlie Kirk’s show push the same narrative. Rolling Stone documents MAGA media continuing to cover the moment as a win after the claim collapsed.
On the record
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) says Schmitt, “working from clearly wrong information,” owes Smith an apology. (Missouri Independent)
The aftermath
The Washington Examiner’s opinion desk headlines it: “Eric Schmitt’s shadow campaign for the vice presidency lasted six hours.” The Hill reports Schmitt facing fallout; the Daily Beast reports a follow-up attempt rather than a retraction.
Worth stating plainly
- Speculation circulated that the Axios story was placed by Schmitt’s team ahead of an expected hearing moment, and that talking points were pre-seeded to commentators. No outlet has established either claim. (Daily Beast)
- As of October 2, 2026, no public apology from Sen. Schmitt to Jack Smith has been reported.
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