Eric Schmitt

Portrait of Eric Schmitt
United States Senate

United States Senator (Republican) from Missouri.

What we have documented

We have documented 6 statements by Eric Schmitt, in 3 cases. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.

Case updates

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Statements by Eric Schmitt

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. Senator (R-MO), speaking to NBC News outside the hearing room

Explicitly stayed out

Response to this claim

Sen. Eric Schmitt asserted that Jack Smith had already perjured himself, telling him, "I think you've already perjured yourself," after Smith said he did not go to a Hawks game.

“We’ll find out. That’s going to be up to a prosecutor to determine. My job here today was to ask questions and get answers.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Live updates: Jack Smith defends Trump investigations amid grilling from GOP senators · NBC NewsLive blog entry on Sen. Eric Schmitt's exchange with Jack Smith, Sen. Amy Klobuchar's closing remarks and Schmitt's comments outside the hearing room
Why we used this label

The case tracks whether Smith attended the game Schmitt named. Asked whether he still thought Smith had perjured himself after learning the details of the game, Schmitt neither repeated nor withdrew the claim and said a prosecutor would determine it, which redirects the question, so we labeled it as declining to answer.

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. Senator questioning a witness at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Defended or excused

Response to this claim

Sen. Eric Schmitt implied that Jack Smith attended a Golden State Warriors versus Atlanta Hawks NBA game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024, asking Smith whether he had gone to the game and displaying a poster of text messages he described as coming from Smith's team.

“I presented him with text messages about him wanting to meet with people that could have obviously been related to the prosecution that was coordinated with his office in Atlanta. ... I stand by that statement.”
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)Sen. Klobuchar Clashes with Sen. Schmitt After He Mistakenly Claims Jack Smith Attended NBA Game in Atlanta · C-SPANClip runtime 0:00-7:11. Sen. Schmitt's opening question and the text-message poster exchange run from 0:00-1:35. Jack Smith's Maryland-Iowa clarification and Sen. Klobuchar's on-the-record correction run from approximately 5:20-7:11.
Why we used this label

The case tracks whether Smith attended the game Schmitt named. Schmitt defends the poster of text messages by saying they concerned Smith wanting to meet people tied to the Atlanta prosecution, and says he stands by a statement after Klobuchar's remarks about the teams. He does not address which game Smith attended and does not retract, so we labeled it a defense of the accusation rather than a defense of the game identification.

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Missouri

Defended or excused

Statement summary

Eric Schmitt voted nay on H.Con.Res. 89, a vote against directing the removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran.

“On the Concurrent Resolution H.Con.Res. 89: A concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 244: H.Con.Res. 89, Iran War Powers Resolution (rejected, 49-50)
Why we used this label

Voted against directing the removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran, a vote to let U.S. involvement continue without congressional authorization.

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Missouri

Minimized

Statement summary

Schmitt dismissed Democratic warnings about federal agents at polls as politically manufactured alarm.

“It’s a political game more than anything.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)NOTUS interviews senators and Lepper about election deploymentsSlotkin quotation after the tabletop-exercise discussion; Schmitt's response to NOTUS; Final two paragraphs, Former Judge Advocates General Working Group
Why we used this label

He downplays the concern by dismissing it as political alarm.

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Missouri

Defended or excused

Statement summary

Eric Schmitt voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 86, the Senate resolution directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.

“On the Concurrent Resolution H.Con.Res. 86: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 184: H.Con.Res. 86, Iran War Powers Resolution (agreed to, 50-48)
Why we used this label

A nay vote opposed the resolution directing the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran, allowing U.S. military operations in the war to continue.

Portrait of Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt

Role at the time: U.S. Senator for Missouri at the statement date.

Defended or excused

Statement summary

Schmitt supports Trump’s Iran action while saying Americans do not want another forever war.

“President Trump took decisive action to ensure they won't.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Schmitt supports Trump’s Iran action while saying Americans do not want another forever war.Complete original authored X post verified directly; date displayed on the post, date-only timestamp represented at noon UTC. Quoted caption is not a video transcript.
Why we used this label

Relative to U.S. military involvement in the 2026 Iran war, Schmitt supports Trump’s Iran action while saying Americans do not want another forever war.

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

Case

Do they support the war in Iran?

Relationship to this case: Speaker

An issue tracker recording where members of Congress and 2026 midterm candidates stand on the unauthorized Iran war, based on their votes on war-powers resolutions, campaign statements, and public remarks.

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