Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
1 of 18 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
70/100
Washington Examiner's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Sen. Eric Schmitt’s (R-MO) unsubtle bid for the 2028 vice presidency lasted less than six hours.
asserted
bid → last → presidency
It lived at the hands of a press even more idiotic than our politicians, and it died by suicide through hubris.
asserted
it → live → hubris
Around 6 a.m., Axios published a puff piece declaring that the senator, who has just three years in the chamber under his belt, is “drawing buzz” as a possible running mate to Vice President JD Vance, the man broadly considered President Donald Trump’s most likely successor.
asserted
who → publish → successor
The piece, which describes Schmitt as “trustworthy, intelligent, articulate and a deft political operator,” was notably written not by some autumn intern, but by Axios CEO Jim VandeHei.
asserted
which → describe → VandeHei
Before noon, Schmitt’s shadow campaign blew up during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with former special counsel Jack Smith.
asserted
campaign → blow → Smith
While relitigating the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Justice Department against Trump won’t improve affordability or wrap up the war with Iran, cleaning house at the Department of Justice is worthwhile on the merits, and there are real misdeeds by Smith to unmask, namely, his warrantless spying on the communications of dozens of Republican lawmakers.
asserted
cleaning → relitigate → lawmakers
But Schmitt decided to pursue a different theory.
asserted
Schmitt → decide → theory
For months now, Republican Judiciary Committee members have argued that the Biden White House was communicating and collaborating with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was prosecuting the state-level case against Trump.
asserted
who → argue → Trump
But Schmitt promised that he would prove communications between Willis and Smith himself.
asserted
he → promise → Willis
So Schmitt decided to confront Smith with receipts, insisting that Smith had gone to Atlanta for a Warriors-Hawks game in February 2024, the day after Willis’s illicit affair with Nathan Wade was exposed.
asserted
affair → decide → Wade
“I don’t think you know that we have this stuff, so I’ll give you a second to process it so you don’t perjure yourself,” said a smug Schmitt, giving the game away a minute too soon.
asserted
Schmitt → think → game
The exchange between Schmitt and Smith is worth watching in its entirety, especially when Schmitt discovers that Smith wasn’t in Atlanta to watch a Hawks game, but in Maryland to watch Caitlin Clark play in an Iowa Hawkeyes game.
asserted
Clark → watch → game
If Schmitt intended to engage in an authentic fact-finding mission, Smith could have answered a question instead of eviscerating a campaign stunt.
uncertain
Smith → intend → stunt
But that’s all televised committee hearings really are these days, premeditated gimmicks to prepare for the next election (i.e., promotion opportunity).
asserted
hearings → ’ → election
The worst part of all of this — the final faux pas that eliminates any shred of plausible deniability for Schmitt — is that his influencer Rolodex fired off pre-drafted tweets celebrating his line of questioning.
asserted
that → eliminate → questioning
In a since-deleted tweet, Benny Johnson posted that “Schmidt Just CAUGHT Jack Smith perjuring himself on the stand” with “the receipts.”
asserted
Schmidt → delete → receipts
For what it’s worth, I have it on good authority that Vance’s team is not happy with Schmitt’s shadowjockeying to become his running mate.
asserted
team → ’ → shadowjockeying
I doubt eating crow in front of someone as unserious as Smith helped his standing with the vice president.
asserted
eating → doubt → president
The Aporia
