Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) is not backing down from his hearing clash with former special counsel Jack Smith, but he is doing it with less swagger.
That is the read from reporter Dave Weigel, who wrote on X that it was "not backing down, but a big climb down from the smirky questioning after he showed him the texts." Weigel's post quotes Schmitt telling Smith: "I'll give you a second to process it so you don't perjure yourself."
"I think you've already perjured yourself."
That is the second line Weigel quotes from Schmitt. It is an accusation, not an established fact. Schmitt has claimed Smith perjured himself. The source material does not show that any finding of perjury has been made.
The recap: at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Sept. 29, Schmitt confronted Smith with text messages. Schmitt suggested Smith had been in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2024. Smith denied being there.
The texts Schmitt displayed referred to a staffer noting Smith was "already down there," according to background research on the hearing. They did not mention any basketball team. Smith said he was instead at a University of Maryland women's basketball game featuring Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Schmitt likely confused the Atlanta Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa did play at Maryland that day, while the Hawks hosted the Warriors in Atlanta. Klobuchar said Schmitt owed Smith an apology.
So the senator told a witness to think hard before answering, and the witness had a specific alibi. You can decide which side of that exchange looked more prepared.
The open item is Klobuchar's demand. Schmitt has not apologized in anything the source material shows.