A moment from a Senate hearing involving former special counsel Jack Smith quickly went viral after Sen. Katie Britt was caught on camera reacting as a colleague’s accusation against Smith began to unravel.
The unusual exchange happened Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned Smith about his whereabouts on Feb. 3, 2024.
Schmitt accused Smith of lying under oath about whether he had attended an Atlanta Hawks basketball game in Atlanta. He presented text messages that he said showed Smith had been at the game and suggested the information could connect Smith to then-Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Smith denied attending an Atlanta Hawks game and said he did not remember traveling to Atlanta in his role as special counsel. He did, however, remember attending a college basketball game in Maryland on the same date.
That is where the questioning took an unexpected turn.
Smith explained that he had attended a University of Iowa women's basketball game against the University of Maryland. The Iowa team is known as the Hawkeyes, while Atlanta's NBA team is the Hawks. Sen. Amy Klobuchar pointed out that the two teams appeared to have been confused.
As the confusion became apparent, cameras captured Britt, who was seated near Schmitt, appearing visibly stunned. The footage of her reaction quickly spread online and became one of the most talked-about moments from the hearing.
Schmitt later disputed the characterization that he had simply made a mistake, saying his role was to ask questions. The hearing itself covered broader Republican scrutiny of Smith's investigations involving President Donald Trump, including allegations about his handling of investigative powers. Smith defended his work and rejected claims that his investigations were politically motivated.
The basketball mix-up, however, became the moment that dominated social media, largely because of the camera catching Britt's reaction as the exchange unfolded.