There was nothing false about what he said. His statement was prefixed with "some commentators note...", which is absolutely true. Unfortunately, the word "commentator" has mistakenly been conflated with authority and accuracy in popular culture, even though a "bored Mashable reporter with a journalism degree and Excel" is technically a "commentator". Any sort of analysis, such as the questionable linear extrapolation used by the Mashable reporter, is also treated as authoritative and accurate and amplified through the echo chamber of the popular press. That failing is not Schmidt's, but our own.

For his part, Schmidt was doing what hired goons are hired to do -- mould the truth, but never to the point of (detectable) perjury. You can bet your life that there is an army of lawyers with sweaty brows in Mountain View poring over every possible response to every possible question.

No, I think it's expected that he's going to put the best possible face on everything. He won't get called on it unless he manages to actually harm someone, which is very unlikely since he's on the defensive here.

Edit: Note that he called her a commentator, not an expert :)