Fox News' Shep Smith tears into Republicans' nonsensical hyping of Devin Nunes' memo

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) has whipped up quite a frenzy about a classified memo that he says proves that the FBI improperly surveilled the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Many Republicans are now clamoring for Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and author of the document, to go public with it, despite the Department of Justice saying such a move would be "extraordinarily reckless." Fox News has given the supposed scandal prominent coverage, but one network host does not believe the hype: Shep Smith.

In a segment Thursday, Smith questioned Nunes' credibility, pointing out that Nunes has previously made "bogus" allegations about wiretapping abuses. Smith detailed the risks of releasing the memo, explaining that the Justice Department "says it should not be made public as it would damage the nation" and that the document has been called "misleading" by those who have read it.

"A memo can be a weapon of partisan mass distraction," Smith declared. Citing President Trump's possible upcoming interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Smith said that this was "a pivotal moment in American history." The release of the memo, Smith said, "behooves" Trump as it would bolster his efforts to discredit the FBI's investigation.

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"Context matters," Smith said. Watch the segment below. Kelly O'Meara Morales