Fox's Shepard Smith debunks Nunes memo conspiracy theory hyped on Fox as a “weapon of partisan mass distraction”

​From the January 25 edition of Fox News' Shepard Smith Reporting:​

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SHEPARD SMITH (HOST): ​​Remember, this began with Devin ​N​unes, the same Devin ​N​unes ​who last year made ​W​hite ​H​ouse surveillance claims, stage​d​ a rush to the ​W​hite ​H​ouse to​ reportedly​ share ​​surveillance information with the ​administration, but​ actually​ took information from the administration and staged a report of it. At its core, it was P.R. And it was bogus.

Devin ​N​unes wrote the memo currently in question. He will not share it with investigators. The ​Trump ​Justice ​D​epartment wants to see it. He won't let them. The same ​T​rump department says it should not be made public as it would damage the nation. It's classified. It could reveal sources and met​​hods. The Republican ​T​rump appointee, the assistant attorney general, Stephen Boyd​,​ says releasing the memo would be extremely reckless. Richard ​B​urr, the Republican of North Carolina, chairman of the ​S​elect ​Committee on ​In​​telligence, has requested a look before any possible declassification. Look denied. ​Many who have seen the memo say it​'​s misleading, distracting​,​ and lacking context. The memo itself is in the conservative discussion mix while the special counsel investigating Russian interference in our democracy is ​apparently ​about to interview the president of the ​United States ​while seeking to determine ​whether he's colluded with the Russians​ or obstructed justice​. A memo can be a ​weapon of partisan ​mass distraction, especially in a pivotal moment in ​American ​history​ when it behooves the man in charge ​for supporters to believe the institutions can't be trusted, investigators are corrupt, and the news media are liars. Context matters.

Previously:​

#ReleaseTheMemo is the next phase in the anti-Mueller campaign

Sean Hannity accuses “the deep state” of an “attempted coup,” says “this makes Watergate look like stealing a Snickers”

Alex Jones tries and fails to pass off a publicly available document as the House GOP's secret Russia memo