Napolitano had reported on Fox that British intelligence officials had helped former President Barack Obama spy on Trump, a story that quickly attracted notice because the president cited it in a news conference. Britain denied that it had done any such thing, and Fox news anchors Shepard Smith and Bret Baier distanced the network from the report, saying its reporters had found no evidence that Trump had been under surveillance.

Fox said on March 21 that it was taking Napolitano off the air for an indefinite period. The former New Jersey judge has worked at Fox News and Fox Business Network as an analyst since 1998.

In his return Wednesday, Napolitano told anchor Bill Hemmer that he stood by his story - and Hemmer didn't mention that others at Fox had been unable to verify it.

"You've had a few quiet days," Hemmer told him. "You likely needed them."