EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Lawmakers faced heavy online ridicule after viral gaffes exposed staff blunders, led by a senator's botched perjury trap.
Politicians from both parties had a rough week as slip-ups and unpopular messaging sent floods of unwanted attention their way.
Chief among this week’s gaffes was Republican Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt’s botched attempt to accuse former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury during Tuesday’s Senate testimony — a basketball mix-up that unraveled as cameras captured the stunned reaction of Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt seated beside him.