Appearing on “Fox & Friends: Weekend” with hosts Pete Hegseth, Lisa Boothe, and Ed Henry, Nunes said he’s been under fire for three years because Republicans “continue to expose corruption,” citing Democrats “unmasking Trump transition officials” and “funding the dossier” to obtain a FISA warrant on Carter Page.

“And then, of course, over the two weeks before Thanksgiving, I think they were embarrassed by their lack of evidence they were able to present through the hearings,” he said. “So, what happened is, the Friday before Thanksgiving, this fake news story drops about me supposedly being in Vienna. And then we get back from Thanksgiving and then — lo and behold — my name along with one of my current staff people…and a former staff person, all of a sudden our civil liberties are violated because our phone records show up in this report.”