--- title: "Senator Kennedy Clashes With Special Counsel Jack Smith at Hearing" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-29T17:45:52.593Z" source_reported: "2026-09-29T16:29:01.000Z" updated: "2026-09-29T17:45:52.593Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-29T17:45:22.714863+00:00" --- # Senator Kennedy Clashes With Special Counsel Jack Smith at Hearing *Republican senator questioned Smith on investigations and phone record requests during a Senate Judiciary Committee session.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named bodies, but relies on anonymous sourcing for some details. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Quotes affected parties and names specific details, but lacks context on why the hearing matters. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise a clash, and the article delivers a heated exchange, but some outlets overstate the drama. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Senator John Kennedy and former special counsel Jack Smith engaged in a heated exchange during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. - Kennedy accused Smith of political bias and questioned his independence, while Smith asserted his charging decisions were based on strong evidence. - The hearing focused on Smith's investigations into Donald Trump and his methods, including the obtaining of phone records. - Smith stated that charging decisions were his own and made independently under special counsel regulations. Senator John Kennedy and former special counsel Jack Smith clashed repeatedly during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. Kennedy, a Republican, questioned Smith about his investigations into former President Donald Trump and his role as special counsel. Smith defended the independence of his work, stating that charging decisions were his own and based on "incredibly strong evidence." The hearing provided an opportunity for Republicans to scrutinize Smith's handling of federal cases against Trump. Kennedy's questioning touched on whether President Biden or Attorney General Merrick Garland influenced Smith's decisions. Smith testified that he informed Garland of his charging decisions but had no knowledge of any discussions Garland may have had with Biden or White House officials. Smith also stated that under special counsel regulations, his decisions were made independently. ## Disagreements on questioning and conduct Newsweek reported that Kennedy accused Smith of political bias and that Smith defended the independence of his investigations. Newsweek also stated Kennedy questioned Smith about his appointment as special counsel and his knowledge of any involvement by President Biden in charging decisions. Raw Story and Mediaite reported that Senator Dick Durbin intervened after Kennedy's questioning, with Raw Story stating Durbin cut off Kennedy after he "hector[ed] former special prosecutor Jack Smith with a string of insults and bizarre questions." Mediaite reported Kennedy told Smith, "You make me want to throw up in my mouth." ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention Senator Chris Coons's defence of Jack Smith's work or his objection to Kennedy's interruptions. None of the right-rated digests mention Senator Amy Klobuchar's exchange with Senator Eric Schmitt regarding Smith's whereabouts during a basketball game. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 22% (2) - Centre: 11% (1) - Right: 67% (6) 0 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-29T17:45:22.714863+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-29T18:15:12.549Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports focused on Senator John Kennedy's confrontational questioning of Jack Smith. Raw Story highlighted that Senator Dick Durbin intervened to cut off Kennedy's "hectoring" and "insults." Mediaite also noted Kennedy received a "scolding" after telling Smith, "You make me want to throw up in my mouth." ### Centre - Newsweek, the centre-rated report, detailed the repeated clashes between Senator John Kennedy and Jack Smith. It noted Kennedy accused Smith of political bias while Smith defended his independence. The report quoted Kennedy's unusual questions, including references to the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, and Smith's responses. Newsweek also mentioned Kennedy's questioning about phone records connected to Republican lawmakers and his assertion that these actions violated the Speech or Debate Clause. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on Senator John Kennedy's aggressive questioning of Jack Smith. U-S-NEWS.COM reported Kennedy questioned Smith about his personal politics and how he obtained phone records. Times of India and Washington Examiner highlighted Kennedy's statement, "You make me want to throw up in my mouth," with Times of India adding Kennedy accused Smith of "lying." Twitchy reported Kennedy "fiercely challenge[d]" Smith, while RedState noted Kennedy "nails Jack Smith to the wall" with questions about alleged bias and constitutional violations. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 3 - mixed: 2 - high: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [U-S-NEWS.COM](https://u-s-news.com/politics-kennedy-and-jack-smith-clash-over-phone-records-family-ties-in-senate-hearing-the-beltway-report) — POLITICS: Kennedy and Jack Smith Clash Over Phone Records, Family Ties in Senate Hearing – The Beltway Report - [The Beltway Report](https://thebeltwayreport.com/2026/09/kennedy-and-jack-smith-clash-over-phone-records-family-ties-in-senate-hearing) — Kennedy and Jack Smith Clash Over Phone Records, Family Ties in Senate Hearing - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/you-make-me-want-to-throw-up-in-my-mouth-kennedy-scolds-jack-smith-for-lying-to-judge-boasberg/videoshow/134570168.cms) — 'You make me want to throw up in my mouth': Kennedy scolds Jack Smith for 'lying' to Judge Boasberg - [Washington Examiner](https://washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4746680/kennedy-berates-smith-over-conversations-garland-make-me-want-throw-up-in-my-mouth) — Kennedy berates Smith over conversations with Merrick Garland - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/john-kennedy-spars-with-jack-smith-trump-investigations-12501629) — Kennedy spars with Jack Smith during tense Senate testimony - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/jack-smith-john-kennedy) — GOP senator silenced as he sneers at Jack Smith: 'You make me want to throw up' - [Twitchy](https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/09/29/jack-smith-checks-receipts-n2432806) — Had Him DEAD to Rights: John Kennedy SO Owned Jack Smith That Dick Durbin Tried SAVING Him and WOOF - [RedState](https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/09/29/do-you-believe-in-the-tooth-fairy-sen-kennedy-nails-jack-smith-to-the-wall-in-stunning-exchange-n2207515) — 'Do You Believe in The Tooth Fairy?' Sen. Kennedy Nails Jack Smith to the Wall in Stunning Exchange - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/gop-senator-gets-a-scolding-after-telling-jack-smith-you-make-me-want-to-throw-up-in-my-mouth) — GOP Senator Gets a Scolding After Telling Jack Smith ‘You Make Me Want to Throw Up In My Mouth’ ## Questions **What was the main point of contention between Senator Kennedy and Jack Smith?** Senator John Kennedy repeatedly clashed with former special counsel Jack Smith, accusing him of political bias. Smith, in turn, defended the independence of his investigations, stating that his charging decisions were his own and based on strong evidence. **What specific topics did Senator Kennedy raise during the hearing?** Senator Kennedy questioned Jack Smith about his appointment as special counsel, his knowledge of any involvement by President Biden in charging decisions, and the process of obtaining phone records connected to Republican lawmakers. He also used colourful analogies and made critical remarks about Smith's conduct. **How did Jack Smith respond to the accusations of bias?** Jack Smith consistently defended the independence of his investigations. He stated that his charging decisions were made solely by him, under special counsel regulations, and were based on "incredibly strong evidence" he and his team had accumulated. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Senator Kennedy Clashes With Special Counsel Jack Smith at Hearing", https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-kennedy-clashes-with-special-counsel-jack-smith-at-hearing