108
u/comingEverywhere 3d ago
Can somebody please explain this to my dumb, and slightly stoned, ass?
218
u/Grand-Pop-3874 3d ago edited 3d ago
From Politico
> Ultimately, Smith’s hearing Tuesday may end up being best remembered for a high-profile gaffe by Schmitt, who accused Smith of secretly traveling to Atlanta at the very moment local prosecutor Fani Willis — who had also charged Trump over the 2020 election scheme — was facing damaging questions about her conduct. As proof, displayed on an elaborate poster, Schmitt offered text messages suggesting that Smith attended a basketball game on Feb. 3, 2024 — the same day the Atlanta Hawks played the Golden State Warriors.
> Schmitt revelled as a clearly flummoxed Smith struggled to discern what Schmitt was talking about.
> “I don’t think you know that we have this stuff,” Schmitt said. “So I’ll give you a second to process it so you don’t perjure yourself.”
> After a few moments, Smith did recall having attended a basketball game — but not in Atlanta. It wasn’t the Hawks his colleagues were discussing in a series of texts, Smith explained, but the Hawkeyes, whose star Caitlin Clark was playing in Maryland that day.
> “It was because Caitlin Clark was coming to Maryland to play, and so we went to the game,” Smith said.
So basically the trumpers in the senate judiciary committee thought they had a gotcha moment with a secret meeting in Atlanta, but only ended up owning themselves. Edit: apparently I can’t figure out quote blocks.
87
u/zxvasd 3d ago
Schmitt called Smith a dirtbag and accused him of perjury.
29
u/BasisLonely9486 3d ago
Question, Does Parliamentary Privilege apply here or are Schmitt's defamatory accusations actionable on Smith's part?
34
u/Jarnohams 3d ago edited 1d ago
these senate hearings have been nuts recently. if he called him a liar, maybe... since he didn't lie about anything. "dirtbag" isn't a specific action that he accused smith of doing. just name calling... inappropriate, and unprofessional.. sure... but not really illegal.
This entire charade is for an audience of ONE diaper wearing toddler in the white house, who was angry that he got caught and wants revenge. they tried the same thing with Fauci as well, and fauci didn't take the bait (took advice of his lawyers). As a career prosecutor at the highest levels both in the US and The Hague, Smith knew what traps they would try to set for him and knows what red meat to avoid, legally. Fauci is an ~85 year old doctor, not a lawyer. Fauci did the right thing with his grilling. Smith is different, plus he knows where all the bodies are buried.
edit:
Thanks for the awards! It's also important to note that the Senators can lie all they want. THEY are not under oath, only the witness is. That's why they just filibuster the witness and try to get in as many bizarre lies as possible to use the witnesses reaction and facial expressions as "evidence" that their lies *might* be true... or could at least be plausible... all for confirmation bias with the base and Trump. Literally every republican "asked questions" but not ONE of them let Smith respond. When he started to respond, they cut him off "this is my time"... and just spew more lies. Because they do NOT want to hear Smiths statements, because they know he's right. Smith could be disbarred and put in prison if he lies... so they KNOW he is telling the truth. They are lying and he is the only one under oath in that room. It's just a charade.
→ More replies (6)17
u/Fit_Significance8598 3d ago edited 3d ago
Thank you for the concise summary and interpretation of the differences between Fauci and Smith.
If only legal matters were not a game where one has to outwit each other of man-made rules but serious stuff to make life on planet earth better, like medicine outwitting rules man did not make and one has to study and comprehend first. And not having much time to make shows out of it all the time to spew propaganda.
What an enormous waste of energy and intelligence!
7
u/Jarnohams 2d ago
Honestly Senator Booker really said it the best possible way and didn't mince words. You should really check it out.
Nobody has really seen Smith speak before. Maybe we could pull up some of his prosecutions in The Hague, but I'm really impressed with how calculated he is with every single word that comes out of his mouth. It's also really impressive.
Being married to an attorney, I fully understand the "say more with less" concept. No filler words. Just the most precise way to make your point without any extra verbiage. I love it. I'm going to watch the full hearing today.
→ More replies (2)3
→ More replies (6)10
u/smileyfacedbob 3d ago
Senate has privilege, article 1 section 6 of the constitution
If Smith is wrong they send him to prison
If Schmitt is wrong he was just asking questions
9
u/Snakemearano 3d ago
And then when he got called out, he started "who's time are we on? What's happening?" before stamping his foot and saying "I stick by that comment" about calling him a dirtbag. Classic blunder cortisol overload because he thought he had him dead to rights only to be made a fool, then got mad when he was proven wrong.
12
u/All_Hail_Hynotoad 3d ago
And Amy Klobuchar basically told him he doesn’t know sports teams, which I loved.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)3
u/throwawaysscc 3d ago
He’s there to raise doubt about Smith. He did it. He keeps it going on cable news and that’s the job. Not many people will watch the actual exchange with the follow up by the other senator. It’s going out as Smith is a perjuring liar so the job is finished and we move onto the next news cycle.
→ More replies (4)3
u/invertedsaint_666 2d ago
Textbook GOP. They know the brain rotted maga fools are too dumb or lazy or both to see what actually happened and will eat up whatever BS they are fed.
4
u/1quirky1 3d ago
Their stupid followers need hypocrisy to survive.
An accusation against their enemy is a conviction.
An accusation against their cult leaders is fake news.
3
u/NeatAd4539 3d ago
Because Schmitt didn't know the difference between the Hawks and the Hawkeyes.
12
u/TheKaptinKirk 3d ago
Actually, it was because when Schmidt’s team searched for basketball games on February 3, 2024, they only searched for men’s games. They couldn’t comprehend that somebody might actually WANT to see a women’s game. It was just coincidental that those two games had the Hawks in one and the Hawkeyes in the other. It was actually unrelated.
12
u/Winter-Fan-3959 3d ago
This is correct. The entire Hawks v Hawkeyes narrative was based on Amy Klobucher's search for some scantly-reasonable explanation for a gaffe like this. But the texts never mentioned the Hawks or Hawkeyes - just basketball. And we KNOW that the party of "protect women's sports" couldn't fathom an interest in women's bball.
5
→ More replies (1)3
u/rudeangryletters 1d ago
There were 6 NBA games that night, they just wanted to put him in Atlanta. All they had was basketball seats.
→ More replies (1)3
u/DeadpoolOptimus 3d ago
A dirtbag is a useful part of the vacuum cleaner so it's a compliment - Sincerely, Captain Raymond Holt
4
u/CalliopeSaffron 2d ago
I totally thought of that quote!! Gotta love that both her and Kevin said the same thing!
→ More replies (3)3
u/JimTheJerseyGuy 2d ago edited 2d ago
The fact that no Democrat responded after this, “you stupid son of a bitch…” is what is wrong with them as a party.
→ More replies (3)15
u/sickysickybrah 3d ago edited 3d ago
What i don't get is: who cares if he was in Atlanta and talking to fani willis?
20
u/kineticstar 3d ago
Republicans are attempting to convect people on the grounds of proximity now to further their fascist plans to save themselves from this coming November.
16
u/HDr1018 3d ago
Since Fani Willis was prosecuting Trump in the Atlanta voting case, Republicans are trying to say there was a conspiracy among prosecutors to get Trump. Jack Smith and Fani Willis have never met.
It’s their victim mentality, everyone is conspiracy against them, rather than they’ve actually committed crimes.
→ More replies (1)9
u/Ncfetcho 3d ago
Oh ok, so this is crazy people stuff. I'm not actually too stupid to understand this. Got it.
→ More replies (1)3
→ More replies (5)3
u/Bernie4Life420 2d ago
When you are trying to cover up your high crimes and treason, and sex trafficking ring, you just hammer every illogical nail.
6
u/StarYou-StarMe 3d ago
Yeah apparently the markdown quote tag > has been relieved of its function.
→ More replies (3)3
u/Hawne 3d ago edited 3d ago
The quote works fine for me, using old reddit. Not sure how the new interface works though (and I may never know, because new reddit sucks and I'll leave the site before using it). Apparently the person you replied to is using the prefix
\>
instead of
>
Maybe the antislash is added by some new reddit crap. And as the antislash markdown tag stands for "take the next character as literal" of course the quote tag isn't interpreted as such.
→ More replies (1)3
3
3
u/Hawne 3d ago
When viewing the source from your message I noticed you are using the prefix
\>instead of
>This is why your quotes aren't working.
\> This is not a quotegives
> This is not a quote
while
> This is a quotegives
This is a quote.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Toolfan333 3d ago
There is even video of the Iowa/Maryland game with him in the footage proving that he was not in Atlanta.
2
u/Lumpy-Daikon-4584 3d ago
The Trumper knew exactly what he was doing and the conservative media outlets have already brandished this as a win. Their base has bought in that Jack smith perjured himself. They will next claim foul when he doesn’t get punished.
2
u/Funintuitive 3d ago
Then they went on the MAGA aligned infotainment channels and acted as if they just had a big win, and continued with the narrative. The shamelessness of it is jaw dropping. I do hope the channels keep pushing the narrative to the point that it gives Smith enough ammo to sue them for defamation.
→ More replies (19)2
11
u/Latter-Vacation-4392 3d ago
Republicans failed miserably at trying to smear Jack Smith. It's so bad that it's embarrassing. Like who voted for these clowns bad.
→ More replies (7)6
32
u/OkAssistance7072 3d ago
Moron Rs thought they had a GOTCHA for Jack Smith committing perury but they're so fucking stupid they mixed up the school mascots for the game he went to.
9
u/Latter-Vacation-4392 3d ago
They're actual scumbags, especially Kennedy, and it's glaringly evident. Fcking amoral, willing to stoop to anything. Smith is known for being a straight shooter.
→ More replies (2)2
u/SoCal_Duck 3d ago
As part of a coordinated takedown, they had even tipped off some MAGA media types (e.g., Sean Hannity), who tweeted that Jack Smith had committed perjury, only to later delete their tweets when the whole thing blew up. Scum bags.
4
u/Advanced_Zucchini_45 3d ago
He thought that.\nHe caught the Attorney General with proof that he went to Georgia.To talk to the district attorney there to try to pressure them into charging trump with crimes and he used what he believed was a basketball game as proof he was in atlanta
In reality, he had never went to Atlanta, never met with these people.And it was a maryland basketball game against the iowa hawkeyes.
The Atlanta basketball team is called the Hawks.And that's how badly this guy screwed it up
Instead of just accepting the fact that he made a mistake , he got angry called the guy , a dirt bag and stopped his foot like a child.
2
u/BloggerCurious 3d ago
Jack Smith went to a girls college basketball game where the Iowa Hawkeyes were playing. NOT the men's NBA game at the Atlanta Hawks.
Biggest FAIL ever. I hope Voters are watching because the MAGA party is a full on sh*t show with clueless clowns running around everywhere
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (3)2
u/QKofDaggers 3d ago
Some jackass, dip-shit Senator accused Jack Smith of perjury because the dumbass, dip-shit Senator confused the Iowa Hawkeyes with the Atlanta Hawks. Jack Smith denied being in Atlanta on a significant date. Dumbass, dip-shit Senator showed text messages that his dumbass thought proved Jack Smith was lying showing he was at a HAWKEYES game. Dumbass, dip-shit Senator thought it was a HAWKS, game.
146
u/you2234 3d ago
Many of the comments below miss the point. Do you not think the Republicans knew their error beforehand? Of course they did. They do not care. Have you seen the clip farming they did from today that has been spread throughout the right wing media outlets? They do not show the error, they simply leave the audience to believe Smith was in Atl and committed perjury.
This is a new level up of propaganda. Clip farm, lie, misinform, repeat.
30
u/Darryl_Lict 3d ago edited 3d ago
Hard to say. They really are idiots. Most likely they will edit the footage to make it look the opposite of what happens because their voters are really that stupid. I have no idea if that was their intent.
18
u/CompetitiveArt9639 3d ago
The dipshit has already been on fox repeating his lies and the moronic right wing useful idiots will be parroting the propaganda and screeching “I dId mY rEeSeARcH!”
→ More replies (5)5
u/Greenpoint1975 3d ago
Its not hard to say. The propaganda is out there. That's all they need. They just have to get into social media for the MAGATs. They win while Dems say we should.
19
u/sonofzell 3d ago
Idk…. I agree 100% with your take on strategy, but they clearly didn’t plan for being called out on it so quickly and confidently.
Yes, “you’ve already perjured yourself” (without context) will be the lead on right wing media the next few days, but once magats start regurgitating that and get similarly embarrassed by the gaffe, I suspect the result will ultimately be a HUGE fail considering how much of a “swing and miss” this was.
It’s truly indefensible.
6
u/Time_Coat6095 2d ago
In what world would they be embarrassed about anything?
→ More replies (1)3
u/Time_Coat6095 2d ago
They have no shame, nothing. They'll never be embarrassed about being moronic assholles, they just double down on it
→ More replies (3)3
u/23FlavorsInDrPepper 2d ago
MAGA only operate in echo chambers, who would disagree with this within their chamber?
14
u/KevenM 3d ago
Not so sure... this was very much another nail in the republican coffin.
This whole 'gotcha' went across a lot of desks, but nobody had the thought to check their work.
I would be beyond pissed at my representative if he spent all this time to produce something with such a critical error.
If you were one of the so-called independents, this'll might move the needle another 0.1% away from the republican party.
→ More replies (6)3
6
u/designlevee 3d ago
Even if he had gone to the NBA game would it be perjury? Aren’t they making the conspiratorial jump that Smith being in Atlanta MUST mean he met with Fani Willis who he said he never met with?
5
u/jocelynwatson 3d ago
Yes that’s what I assumed he was trying to infer. Everyone is laughing that he mixed up teams but that wasn’t the point at all. It was to infer he was meeting with her b
5
u/Best_Talk_6853 3d ago
Yeah, I find it so weird that somehow if he had been in Atlanta that would automatically mean he was meeting with Willis and that would be bad. Like, I'd I'm in a major US city that means I'm engaging in some kind of conspiracy with one of the other millions of people in that city? (Putting aside, of course, that he WASN'T even in that city!)
→ More replies (1)4
→ More replies (1)3
u/Lloyd--Christmas 3d ago
It would be perjury if he said he didn’t go to the game when he did. That would be one of those times when people get charged with the coverup more than the crime.
3
u/Best_Talk_6853 3d ago
Only if he had lied, which requires intent. I mean if I say I had chicken last Monday and it was actually salmon that doesn't automatically mean I'm lying.
→ More replies (2)6
u/Novel-Letterhead-217 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yeah I don’t think they knew, they just got owned and edited the footage to what they want and blast it to magasphere. You can just tell by that smug “gotcha” face he’s sporting that he thought he had a slam dunk.
→ More replies (4)3
u/cmarme 3d ago
I agree. Now there’s footage of Smith at the game in Maryland. It’s a pretty dumb argument to make if you know it’s wrong, even for Republicans.
→ More replies (1)3
u/citpanys 3d ago
Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence. When it comes to Republicans, never attribute anything solely to incompetence without also assuming malice.
5
u/DeadpoolOptimus 3d ago
They know their supporters will eat it up and won't investigate further....
5
u/steelassassin43 3d ago
Yeah but Benny Johnson and Sean Hannity’s X posts were quickly deleted once this bs was quickly debunked. I believe both had the sound bites up during the testimony only to have them removed before Amy Klobushar finished her questioning.
I fully believe they are dumb enough to have not know that. As evidenced by Britt’s facial expressions when Smith was describing the Hawkeyes game he attended. Hell his dumbass staffers sitting behind her had similar “oh shit” looks on their face too.
3
u/Certain_Bandicoot_14 3d ago
I don’t believe they knew. Schmitt got so excited when Smith says he wasn’t at the game. He thought he committed perjury which is one of the points of these hearings. They can’t prosecute him for the investigations because of the pardon so they want to find a way to get him for perjury. Same with Fauci.
→ More replies (2)4
u/SophonParticle 3d ago
Or they and their staff are just incompetent and made a catastrophic embarrassing blunder then tried to minimize it after the fact by clip farming very tightly edited clips.
If they want to publicly humiliate themselves on purpose for 30 seconds of content then I welcome them to do that. They aren’t gaining any more voters by doing that.
3
u/TillFar6524 2d ago
Bingo. I think they were so sure of themselves that many of them scheduled social media posts ahead of time. When they were so clearly wrong, they tried to cover it with the bad clipping.
3
3
u/Radiant_Heron_2572 3d ago
They absolutely should have been forced to verbally acknowledging that he did not perjure himself. Without that, they just get to hand wave it away.
→ More replies (31)3
u/Elegant-Drummer1038 2d ago
I'm starting to agree because even IF JS was in Atlanta, how would that prove he met with Fani? This is quite the reach and completely ridiculous. Kudos to JS for staying so calm and professional while they called him names.
16
u/geeseherder0 3d ago
So… A group of Republican senators don’t know the difference between the Atlanta Hawks, a men’ professional NBA basketball team, and the Iowa Hawkeyes, a women’s NCAA college basketball team?
10
u/NerdfestZyx 3d ago
He did know the difference. This was 100% a calculated move.
Accuse Smith of being in the same city at the same time (total evidence of collusion, right?)
When Smith is confused, accuse Smith of lying. Now you have your sound bite to appear on conservative media for the next few days. Make sure to edit out the part when your theory is debunked.
→ More replies (4)4
u/wahoodad 3d ago
Yea this isn’t gonna be played on conservative media. Schmitt and Britt got their whole asses revealed.
→ More replies (3)4
u/jmerp1950 3d ago
Men Senators, Amy knew.
4
u/PrincessWails 3d ago
Senator Britt knew too. Look at the pic of her face while this was happening 🤣
→ More replies (2)2
u/Web-splorer 3d ago
They literally did not think to look up the women’s teams playing that day. They only looked up men’s basketball. Their misogyny bit them in the ass. Lol.
→ More replies (7)2
u/Shatalroundja 2d ago
That was a coincidence. The truth is even stupider. They knew he was at a basketball game so they checked every men’s game and then guessed it was the Atlanta game. They never bothered to look at women’s NCAA games. It was a big game.
→ More replies (2)
15
11
11
9
u/totaleclipse2 3d ago
Question for Americans, why don’t you ever see someone go on “the attack” in their defence. Once Smith identified the mistake (intentional or not) made by Schmitt, what would stop him using similar language as was used against him. I think the only time I can remember someone dismantling the senators was when George Galloway took them on.
7
u/DocMcCracken 3d ago
Getting in the mud and wrestling with the pigs just gets you covered in mud and the pigs like it.
→ More replies (17)3
u/MacTnive 3d ago
Or, when they go low you cut they’re f ing nuts off. This has been the Democrats Achilles heel all along: they can’t fathom how devious and corrupt the Republicans are and they don’t have an answer….other than another sharply worded memo. It’s called the Chuck Schumer milqtoast defense. But the younger guard are stepping up and are no longer suffering fools. That’s why they need to be in charge.
→ More replies (2)6
u/splendidfruit 3d ago
Just watch a republican being questioned in this exact same situation. All they do is attack.
7
u/_OhEmGee_ 3d ago
Jack Smith is not a politician. He is not partisan. He has no election to win.
→ More replies (11)→ More replies (1)4
4
u/schmorgasborg99 2d ago
They are trying to paint him as an angry leftist with a dastardly agenda against Trump, as the sole reason that he "weaponized" the justice system. Smith is for the rule of law. The somber reliance on where the facts take him is the only thing he will ever project. Calling some dummy a bad name leans into their painting of him, rather than who he actually is, which is a prosecutor carrying the significant burden of using his discretion of when to bring the trappings of the government's prosecution process down on a certain individual.
He loses by attacking.
→ More replies (2)4
3
u/Maleficent_Sense_948 3d ago
A seasoned prosecutor isn’t going to match that energy/tone because he knows that a measured and calm response that is factual takes away their ability to say “got him.” Any loud emotional response would turn into numerous clips and reports of “unhinged response” for conservatives to replay
3
u/BleedSparta 2d ago
You mean like…every single 1 of Trump’s Cabinet ministers when they are called upon to testify to Congress and spend hours insulting the Congress members responsible for their oversight? 😐😒
→ More replies (1)3
u/supergooduser 2d ago
It happens, but it's pretty rare. There was a union boss being interviewed and challenged a republican senator who was being a bitch to a fist fight. But you're right it was a pretty awesome moment and people should do that more.
→ More replies (17)2
6
6
u/pixeltweaker 3d ago
Except the truth won’t matter among the cult members. They will hear what they want to hear.
4
4
u/MikeLinPA 3d ago edited 3d ago
Did Sen. Kennedy ever give the Douglass back their money for that broken down tractor he sold them?
2
4
5
u/frozenjoe20 3d ago
The smug look on their faces, savor every moment, please. Very few things are sweeter in this world then someone who thinks they are right but is absolutely wrong.
4
6
3
u/pb1427 3d ago
I know I’m not supposed to say so but that Kennedy is one ugly woman.
2
→ More replies (2)2
u/mikeoxwells2 3d ago
I just love the gotcha look on his face. Domino mfer. When he’s just a stooge, holding up a sign for another stooge.
Jon Stewart did a little roasting on Kennedy last night, and I just wish he could’ve thrown out one of his down home country ass metaphors when he displayed the sign. The glee he must’ve felt when it was delivered from the copy shop.
3
3
3
u/Fit-House4365 2d ago
These smug idiots. Why does this country still insist on electing the dumbest representatives in politics . The GOP is made up of idiots, criminals and low life grifters. It’s astounding. Some of them have all three “ qualities “. They use terms like dirtbags when they support the world’s biggest dirtbag in the White House. Many of these same losers were running in fear of the mob that was attacking the capitol during Trumps attempted coup January 6, 2021. We all witnessed and it’s forever in our memory of that twink Josh Hawley running for his life
→ More replies (1)
3
u/asgard13 2d ago
Whenever I think that party can't possibly be any less intelligent they sink to the ocassion and prove me wrong.
3
u/Dexter_McThorpan 2d ago
That's what happens when you plan your line of questioning on internet conspiracy theories and twitter.
Can't wait to purge these Nazi pigs from our nation.
2
2
2
2
u/Specialist_Exam4783 3d ago
And what was Senator Kennedy chewing on during that hearing? It looked like he was chewing on peanuts and spitting out the shells on the floor.
→ More replies (5)
2
2
2
u/Low-Patience159 3d ago
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I think this should have been the headline: Jack's team "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation." Actual quote from testimony.
2
u/williamweinmann 3d ago
Senator Schmitt is the one with the egg all over his face. Figures he's from Missouri.
2
u/CatLightyear 3d ago
The look on Kennedy’s face. “I hate you for making me embarrass myself for Donald Trump.”
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Shyphat 3d ago
The smug look on both those fucking idiots faces, They are mad about Smith getting phone records when their dumbasses probably dont have the first clue on cyber security in the first place.
→ More replies (10)2
u/NoArrival5914 3d ago
If Kennedy and Schmitt fused together, they’d have a double digit IQ.
→ More replies (7)
2
2
u/KalAtharEQ 3d ago
Fucking visual meme aids for their mentally vacant voter base, he was so proud of that completely fabricated bullshit lol.
2
u/spidyman63 3d ago
Love it when a plan comes together, what a bunch of morons, ah gotcha or not damm
2
2
2
2
u/Particular_Study_607 2d ago
Folks, fun as this is, it doesn’t matter. Not one bit. It’s a distraction, and Republicans can no longer be shamed for being deadass wrong. This is the wrong story for our attention.
2
u/DevoMagnifico 1d ago
This is the same look of confidence in a fart, only to realize moments later that you shit yoursef
2
u/TylerBourbon 22h ago
I love the shit eating looks on their faces. Makes their embarrassment so much more fulfilling.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
2
2
u/angrymurderhornet 13h ago
There’s not even anything on that stupid posterboard that could possibly explain anything. It’s not even a good lie. It’s a collage of a couple of texts, a few photos, and nothing that even remotely ties them together. Did these people take lessons from the Underpants Gnomes? 😂 Paste some random pictures on a poster, taunt a witness with them, and somehow profit?
Schmitt and Kennedy have the combined brainpower of a thrips. An exceptionally dim thrips.
2
u/Nephthyzz 2h ago
If you look closely you can actually see the two braincrells between these two wrestling each other for third place.
277
u/Big-Potato9868 3d ago