Relatives of 9-11 victims are criticizing Fox Business Network's Andrew Napolitano for his claim last week that the government is hiding facts surrounding the September 11 attacks.
Those who spoke with Media Matters either dismissed the claims of a conspiracy or criticized Napolitano for raising the issue as they continue to seek closure.
Napolitano made the comments on November 23 during an interview on Alex Jones' radio show.
Napolitano claimed in the interview that it's “hard for me to believe” that World Trade Center 7 “came down by itself,” and said that it couldn't have happened “the way the government told us.”
Experts have debunked this myth, including Popular Mechanics, which noted, “Conspiracy theorists have long claimed that explosives downed World Trade Center 7, north of the Twin Towers.” The publication, which frequently debunks 9-11 conspiracy theories, added that a “report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conclusively rebuts those claims.”
Jones, who is the self-proclaimed leader of the movement that wrongly claims that the 9-11 attacks were an inside job, responded to Napolitano's claims by praising his “courage” and calling him a “great American.”
Fox spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment.
But some of those whose relatives died in the attacks were glad to speak up.
Among them was Tim Sumner, co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America. He dismissed the Truther view after listening to the Napolitano/Jones exchange.
“We know who attacked us and that they are still coming at us,” Sumner, whose firefighter brother-in-law died in the South Tower, wrote in an e-mail. “The questions we will continue to ask are those aimed at ensuring our government does not recreate systemic loopholes in our national defense.
”Unfortunately, a few pundits remain willfully ignorant of the facts surrounding the collapse of WTC 7 yet voice their opinions nonetheless. Conversely, Alex Jones is a grave robber who, like all of the self-proclaimed leaders of the 9/11 'truth' movement, provokes solely for personal gain; his 'facts' have been debunked or are ludicrous on their face."
Charles Wolf's wife, Katherine, died in the North Tower on Sept. 11. He calls conspiracies like those Napolitano discussed “ludicrous,” and accused him of using the tragedy to seek attention.
“After all the investigations, they are rather ludicrous,” he said. “Nine and a half years after, to bring something like this up, what kind of publicity is he looking for for himself? It appears to me to be rather self-serving. He is not worth getting upset about, he is just someone who is looking for publicity.”
Rosemary Cain, whose son, firefighter George Cain, died that day, took issue with Napolitano specifically.
“Judge Napolitano? I can't believe that, I really don't believe it,” she said when she heard about his comments. “What can they gain by that? I think it is beneath him to come out with a remark like that. He is in a position of respect.”
She also stated:
“Anybody who talks about that is obviously not a family member and just trying to stir the pot and cause controversy. The bottom line is that if people were not affected by 9/11, they should just keep their mouths shut because it is hurtful to the families.”
“I think the media gives some of these nut jobs too much credibility and too much air space.”
Then there is Herbert Ouida, whose son, Todd, died in the North Tower. He criticized Napolitano and any others who raise such conspiracies to gain attention:
“We trust the government and have no reason not to trust the government on this. People make a living on these things, they make a living on the tragedy.”
“We live in a media age and people want to fill 24 hours and people make a name for themselves and take advantage of this media need.”