MAGA Influencers Wildly Try to Spin GOP Senator’s Viral Gaffe as a Win: ‘Lock This Traitor Up!’

 
Eric Schmitt

Screenshot via MS NOW

MAGA influencers tried to spin Sen. Eric Schmitt’s (R-MO) epic fail in trying to catch former Special Counsel Jack Smith in a lie as a win for the Missouri Republican on Tuesday, despite Schmitt receiving an avalanche of mockery and criticism.

Schmitt sparked mockery across the media as he believed he had trapped Smith into committing perjury during Tuesday’s Judiciary Committee hearing by asking the former prosecutor if he had gone to an Atlanta Hawks game and met with Fulton County DA Fani Willis. Smith said he was not at the game, and it was later understood that Schmitt had confused the Atlanta Hawks with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

ABC News’s chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl summed up the bonkers exchange, “This was bizarre. I have never seen ‘evidence’ introduced so quickly and then hidden. Senator Eric Schmitt accuses Jack Smith of perjury for denying he went to an Atlanta Hawks game in February 2024. As it turns out, he went to an Iowa Hawkeyes game (in Maryland).”

During the exchange, Schmitt gleefully called Smith a “dirtbag” and told him he was guilty of lying to the U.S. Senate. The Missouri Republican’s mistake was quickly uncovered by both Smith and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who hammered Schmitt for not getting his “facts straight.”

Despite the quick debunking and widespread criticism Schmitt received, many in MAGA media still praised him for taking down Smith.

“Senator Eric Schmidt Just CAUGHT Jack Smith perjuring himself on the stand in his testimony,” wrote MAGA influencer Benny Johnson on X, adding:

Jack Smith denied having any contact with Fani Willis and denied going to a NBA game in Atlanta. Then Eric Schmidt pulled out the receipts

“What would you say if I had a series of text messages from your team that said you were in Atlanta at a Warriors Hawks game the day after Willis and Wade announced their affair”

“I don’t think you know that we have this stuff, I’ll give you a second to process it”

Jack Smith is stunned.

Rich Sementa, the producer of The Mark Levin Show, posted and later deleted his praise of Schmitt:

Rich Sementa

Screenshot via X

Sean Hannity posted to X also highlighting the moment, “’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?’ Sen. Eric Schmitt puts Jack Smith on the spot in the Senate Judiciary hearing.” Hannity later deleted the tweet.

Hannity

Screenshot via X

Writer Emily Zanotti shared Johnson’s take and speculated, “Oh man the influencer instruction emails went out BEFORE the testimony.”

Below are some more MAGA accounts spinning in favor of Schmitt:

__

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!

Tags:

Alex Griffing is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Send tips via email: alexanderg@mediaite.com. Follow him on Twitter: @alexgriffing