Fox News Reports On Spicer’s Apology To The UK, Fails To Note That Spicer Was Apologizing For Citing Fox News

WH Press Secretary Sean Spicer Cited Fox's Andrew Napolitano To Suggest British Intelligence Had Wiretapped Trump

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox News co-host Shannon Bream brought up a report that President Donald Trump’s administration allegedly issued a “formal apology” to the British government for suggesting that it spied on Trump on behalf of former President Barack Obama. Bream’s account of the news story conveniently left out the fact that the administration was directly citing a claim made on Fox News. In a March 16 briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano's March 14 claim that Obama “went outside the chain of command” and “used GCHQ,” a British intelligence agency, to spy on Trump. From the March 17 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:

SHANNON BREAM (CO-HOST): There are reports this morning that the White House has apologized to the British government for the allegation that British intelligence wiretapped President Trump during the campaign. The White House is not confirming those reports. However, a spokesman for 10 Downing Street says this. Quote, “We have made clear to the administration that the allegations are utterly ridiculous and we have received assurances they will not be repeated.” In the wake of the allegation, Sean Spicer has been talking a lot about what's happening. He's taken a lot of heat in the White House and the press room.