CNN host Anderson Cooper started his news show "Anderson Cooper 360" on Thursday night by saying President Donald Trump has "no facts" to back up his claim that former President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.
"Tonight we know the president of the United States has no facts," Cooper said at the start of the show. "No facts to back up his startling allegation that the former president of the United States, President Obama, wiretapped him at Trump Tower during the campaign."
In a segment titled "Keeping Them Honest," Cooper listed reasons to discount Trump's wiretapping allegation.
Cooper specifically commented on a clip of Trump appearing on Fox News the prior night, claiming it proved Trump had no evidence to back up his claim.
"We know the president has no facts because he himself was on Fox News last night and finally explained where he got the alleged information that led him to tweet the unsubstantiated allegations against the former president," Cooper said while introducing the clip.
Trump said that he found information in the New York Times and from Fox News anchor Bret Baier that discussed wiretapping. Cooper disputed the idea that either Baier's reporting or the Times corroborated Trump's claim about Obama.
A survey by The Wrap revealed in 2014 that Anderson Cooper was the second-most-liked newscaster, just behind CBS anchor Scott Pelley. Cooper was also the highest-ranked choice for presidential debate moderator in 2016, according to a Morning Consult survey.