Jim Jordan Issues Criminal Referral Against Jack Smith

Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has put forward a criminal referral against former Special Counsel Jack Smith, claiming that Smith committed perjury during his testimony in Congress. Jordan asserts that Smith made “willfully and intentionally false statements” under oath regarding access to text messages from 44 lawmakers during investigations involving President Donald Trump.

This week has been particularly rocky for politicians across the board as unfortunate gaffes and unappealing messaging have drawn unwanted scrutiny. A notable blunder occurred when Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri mistakenly tried to accuse Jack Smith of lying during a Senate hearing. This incident, which involved a mix-up about a basketball game, left Senator Katie Britt of Alabama visibly taken aback.

During the hearing, Schmitt pressed Smith about his attendance at an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024, citing texts that he claimed proved Smith’s presence there. When Smith denied being at the NBA game, Schmitt accused him of lying under oath. The issue? Schmitt had conflated the Atlanta Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes, mistakenly believing that Smith had attended an NBA game instead of the women’s college basketball game between Iowa and Maryland happening that evening.

As Schmitt fell into this error, a pool camera captured Britt’s shocked reaction, which quickly became a highlight—if you can call it that—of the hearing.

In what turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the session, comments on social media varied widely. One reporter called it a legendary staff blunder that future interns would hear about for years to come. Meanwhile, some lighthearted jabs were made about Britt’s stance on abortion, implying Schmitt had jeopardized his political future on live television.

Interestingly, as reactions swirled online, Schmitt attempted to mitigate the backlash with a lighthearted post on social media, jokingly suggesting that Smith was a fan of Caitlin Clark, who did play for Iowa during that game. This, however, didn’t help much; criticism continued to pour in. Columnists and former staffers expressed disappointment in what they deemed a significant misstep in congressional professionalism.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Schmitt in the hot seat this week. Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson from Maine also faced backlash for a video he shared of himself enjoying boba tea while criticizing his opponent’s wealthy backers. The internet didn’t hold back in its critique, with many suggesting the message needed a refresh.

In another slip, Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania mistakenly identified himself as a “lifelong Republican” before quickly correcting his statement.

Meanwhile, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders ruffled some conservative feathers with an advertisement featuring a fictional young white male Medicaid recipient, criticized for seemingly avoiding representation of other demographic groups who may depend on government assistance.