The Fox News analyst behind Trump's explosive wiretapping claims is back on the air
Fox News
Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano returned to the network on Wednesday after being benched following unsubstantiated claims he made affirming that President Barack Obama wiretapped President Donald Trump.
Before a segment about a Department of Justice case against former Congressman Aaron Schock, anchor Bill Hemmer acknowledged that the judge was off the air for several days following his report.
"You still stand by that?" Hemmer asked.
"Yes I do, and the sources stand by it and the American public needs to know more about this rather than less because a lot of the government surveillance authorities will expire in the fall," Napolitano said. "There will be a great debate about how much authority we want the government to have to surveil us and the more the American public knows about this the more informed their and Congress’ decisions will be."
He added: "I think a lot more is going to come."
Napolitano was one of the only high profile figures in the media to support Trump's claim, which the president initially floated on Twitter.
Appearing on "Fox and Friends," the analyst claimed said "three intelligence sources" informed Fox News that Obama "went outside the chain of command," and requested the UK's Government Communication Headquarters monitor then-candidate Trump.
The administration has also used Napolitano as a shield when pressed about evidence of wiretapping.
When confronted about the allegations during a press conference, Trump said he was simply quoting a "very talented legal mind" on Fox.
The network itself quickly shot down Napolitano's claims. Anchor Shepard Smith reported earlier this month that the news division was unable to confirm Napolitano's assertions, choosing to characterize his remarks as mere "commentary."
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