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← All fact checksMorning run · October 15, 2026 · #9 by reach
PoliticsCrimeStatistic

Did Jack Smith Have a Spreadsheet of MAGA Hat Buyers?

Did Jack Smith's team obtain personal data on at least 639,000 Republican donors and supporters, including names and home addresses of MAGA hat buyers?

Can't verify

The claim about Jack Smith tracking MAGA hat buyers is unsupported.

A post claims that Jack Smith had a spreadsheet of MAGA hat buyers' information. While the Senate Judiciary Republicans assert they retrieved this data, the claim's detail about the time frame has inconsistencies, leading to an unsupported conclusion with low confidence.

Likely genuine
The post as it circulated, labelled by our media check.Image

Claims

✓ 1 true

Jack Smith's Special Counsel Office and the Department of Justice obtained information on sales of red MAGA hats, including individual buyers, their purchases and their shipping addresses.123

✓ Likely trueCentral claimHigh confidence

Reports indicate that a Senate Judiciary Committee memo states Jack Smith’s office collected data on MAGA hat purchases, including names and shipping addresses of buyers. However, corroboration is limited as the original memo couldn't be accessed, relying primarily on partisan or niche media. The consensus is strong in reporting the purchase data, yet independent validation remains weak.

If you bought a MAGA hat between 2021-2025, Jack Smith had a spreadsheet with your name and home address.123

~ Partly trueModerate confidence

The assertion that Smith collected information on MAGA hat buyers is acknowledged, yet the specified year range is misleading. Reports indicate the data includes buyers older than 2021, with some sources reporting back to 2005. Thus, while the core claim holds, the claim's date parameters are inaccurately framed.

What was posted

X

This post on Twitter alleges that Jack Smith tracked buyers of MAGA hats from 2021 to 2025, suggesting privacy invasion.

“If you bought a MAGA hat between 2021-2025, Jack Smith had a spreadsheet with your name and home address. Let that sink in….. Thanks to Senator @ChuckGrassley & @SenJudiciaryGOP for bringing transparency! Time to hold Jack Smith accountable! @ItsYourGov”

Who posted it

X
@MarshallYates_

Account 2.8 years old

View the account on X ↗

Account check

Looks like a genuine account90%
Likelihood of automation10%

Estimates from public signals — account age, posting pattern, audience — not a judgement of the person behind the account, and separate from whether this post is true.

What stood out

  • Account handle matches known individual, Marshall Yates, associated with the Oversight Project and former Assistant Director of Congressional Affairs at the FBI.
  • Profile description aligns with Marshall Yates' professional background, including roles at the FBI and the House Judiciary Committee.
  • Recent tweets discuss legal actions and political issues, consistent with Marshall Yates' known activities.
  • Account has a history of retweeting content from reputable sources, indicating engagement with credible information.
Signals (3)+
Posting cadence
Multiple posts per day
Follower ratio
Approximately 1,000 followers
Notable news coverage
Oversight Project's litigation victory in Howell v. Maryland; Marshall Yates' role in election integrity initiatives

Account checked October 15, 2026, 03:12 UTC

The media

Image
Likely genuinePresented as real footage· The claim depends on it

✓ What is genuine

The image appears to be a plausible excerpt from a Senate Judiciary memo about data on MAGA hat purchasers.

The tells

  • ●●○ Supporting signal The document's source wasn't independently verified.our visual review
  • ●●● Strong signal Language in the image matches media reports, suggesting it's genuine information.independent reporting

Synthetic-media detector

Detector ran

The claim stands or falls on whether the media is real, so the detector ran.

AI-generated likelihood9%
Deepfake likelihood0%

Scores are the detector’s estimate for the file as uploaded. A low score does not rule out editing, a spliced caption, or footage shown out of context — those are judged above. Model v3.

How we checked the media

  • The image was visually assessed for authenticity against known reports about the Grassley memo.
  • It matches reported language from multiple sources about the content of the memo.

Sources

3 sources reviewed

Further reading

  • 1Twitchy Explains the details of the memo and its implications.
  • 2Unbiased Headlines Offers additional context on the data collected by Jack Smith's office.
  • 3100 Percent Fed Up Discusses the potential ramifications of the information gathering.

The full story

On October 14, 2026, Senate Judiciary Republicans published a memo asserting that Jack Smith's office obtained records detailing purchases of MAGA hats and the respective buyers' information. This announcement primarily targeted the alleged intrusive nature of the data gathering, which includes approximately 639,000 individuals, raising concerns about privacy violations. The memo claimed information from various sales data, though previous years were under scrutiny, leading to some discrepancies regarding the specific years mentioned in the circulating post. The discussions surrounding the memo sparked debates about the boundaries of investigative authority and transparency in federal actions.

Kernel of truth

A Senate Judiciary memo released indicates that records contain details about MAGA hat purchasers.

How it was framed

False context

The core claim has elements of truth but is framed in a misleading manner with an inaccurate timeline.

  • Emotional language. The phrasing 'let that sink in' appeals emotionally and creates a sense of urgency around the issue.

Bias

NoneSlightModerateStrong

Leans anti-Jack Smith / pro-GOP. The caption frames the memo excerpt as proof of wrongdoing and calls for accountability, thanking GOP Senate actors; its language is partisan and intended to provoke outrage rather than neutrally summarize the document.

Bias describes how the post frames its message — the slant of the language, selection and emphasis — and is judged separately from whether the claim is true. A true claim can still be framed with a strong slant.

How we checked

55 s
  1. 1

    Conducted searches for data regarding Jack Smith's collection of MAGA hat buyer information.

  2. 2

    Reviewed multiple media reports referencing the Grassley memo and its implications.

  3. 3

    Assessed the authenticity of the image presented in the post.

✓ Claim checked✓ Media checked✓ Sources checked

Why 40% confidence

Low

We assign a LOW confidence band due to the absence of independent corroboration and reliance on partisan sources for the details.

Limits. We could not access the original Grassley memo PDF to verify the authenticity and details of the claims.

What we don’t know

  • What the original memo precisely states regarding the collection of MAGA hat buyer information.
  • Whether broader independent coverage will emerge to validate or refute these claims.

Spot it yourself

Spot the fake

Looks suspicious, isn’t proof

  • The startling claim about government surveillance raises alarm but lacks full context.
  • The specificity of dates could plant doubt instead of clarity.
  • The partisan nature of sources should prompt further verification as they may have biases.

The actual evidence

  • The memo's language is echoed across multiple reports, showing consistent coverage.
  • Independent media conveys that Smith's office obtained general data, enhancing the claim's validity.
  • Reports indicate the purchase information spans several years, contradicting specific claims in the post.
  1. 1

    Check the original source of the claim.

    Find the primary memo or documentation referenced in the post.

  2. 2

    Look for media coverage from established outlets.

    Identify third-party reports that confirm or contest the claims made in posts.

  3. 3

    Scrutinize the dates and details mentioned.

    Verify if the information corresponds with reliable data sources or reports.

Takeaway

Always cross-check staggering claims with reputable sources and consider discrepancies in details before accepting them as fact.

Questions people ask

What does the Grassley memo state about MAGA hat buyers?+

The memo claims that records including the names and shipping addresses of MAGA hat buyers were obtained by Jack Smith's office. However, the exact years covered are part of the dispute.

Is there definitive proof that Jack Smith tracked MAGA hat buyers?+

While there are reports confirming some level of data collection, independent corroboration directly from a primary memo was not secured in this review.

What sources reported on this topic?+

Coverage primarily comes from partisan outlets quoting the Grassley memo, and a broader variety of reports would enhance trust in the details.

How can I verify claims made in social media posts?+

Cross-reference claims with reputable news sources and check the original documents cited or referenced for accuracy.

Go deeper

MAGA hat
A red baseball cap associated with Donald Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America Great Again.'
corroboration
Additional evidence or information that confirms or supports a statement or claim.
partisan
Relating to or characteristic of a specific political party, often leading to biased viewpoints.
For educators+
How to assess the validity of claims based on original sources.The importance of cross-referencing information from diverse media outlets.Identifying emotional language in posts that may distort facts.
  • What clues can help determine whether a claim is accurate?
  • How does the emotional language in posts influence the perception of facts?
  • Why is it essential to consider multiple viewpoints when evaluating a political claim?

About this check

Platform
X
Posted by
@MarshallYates_
Posted
October 14, 2026
Age when checked
Under 24 hours old when checked
Where it spread
United States
Audience
US audience
Language
EN
Status
● Post is live
Verified
October 15, 2026, 03:13 UTC
Published
October 15, 2026, 03:13 UTC

Reach. ~16.4K likes, 1.2K replies; Fox News Digital exclusive on Senate Judiciary memo; Twitchy

This verdict was generated with AI from the sources shown. AI can make mistakes — check the sources before relying on it.

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