Discernment Digest

Receipts, Revenge, and a Botched Sword

Contact: discern@cbctenton.com

After two Matt Lewis episodes, a short digest: a Senate “gotcha” that wasn’t, revenge prosecutions that keep failing, and a few items from the week.

Receipts. Sen. Eric Schmitt tried to catch Jack Smith at an Atlanta Hawks game the day after the Fani Willis–Nathan Wade story broke. The texts were for a Maryland–Iowa college game. Iowa are the Hawkeyes. Schmitt still called Smith a dirtbag and, on the Charlie Kirk Show, did not correct a host who praised the moment. An Axios item that morning had floated him as a possible J.D. Vance running mate in 2028.

Revenge. The pattern: if you lack the law and the facts, attack the prosecutor. Smith’s classified-documents report is still unreleased because Judge Aileen Cannon has refused to release it. DOJ’s “grand conspiracy” probe has already lost Joseph diGenova, who told the New York Post, “If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem.” The Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool case was dismissed with prejudice after Interior blamed the contractor, not vandals.

A botched sword. Tennessee failed for the second time this year to carry out an execution. Christa Pike, convicted of murdering Colleen Slemmer, was left unconscious and on a ventilator after injections missed a vein. Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:4 are cited for capital punishment as justice. The argument: fix the competence, do not drop the penalty.

Also: FlyDubai 1073, a stabbed pilot, and a safe landing in Saudi Arabia after passengers subdued the co-pilot. Netanyahu called it Islamic radicalization. John Hagee denounced the attack, then drew praise from Mark Levin as “our Pastor,” despite Hagee’s claim of a Jewish covenant that does not require faith in Jesus.

Clips

• Senate Judiciary: Schmitt questions Smith (Hawks / Hawkeyes exchange)

  https://x.com/SenAmyKlobuchar/status/2104982049870291386

• Charlie Kirk Show: Schmitt does not correct the host

  https://x.com/atrupar/status/2104975126940815831?s=20

• Hannity and Benny Johnson posts from the hearing both original posts have since been deleted.

  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTZ86s-bsAEdwV5.jpg

  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTaKC3tWcAAa2zF.jpg

• Axios item on Schmitt as a possible 2028 Vance running mate

  https://www.axios.com/2026/09/29/eric-schmitt-jd-vance-vice-president-vp-2028

Scripture

• Genesis 9:6

• Romans 13:4

• Exodus 20:13, translated as murder rather than kill