Appearing on Fox’s Studio B this afternoon, senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano gave a frank assessment of NSA leaker Edward Snowden as “an American hero” who went great lengths to expose “extraordinary violations” of fundamental American values within the government.

“I describe this man has an American hero,” the judge told host Shepard Smith, “willing to risk life and liberty in order to expose to the American people one of the most extraordinary violations of the American principles, value judgments and the Constitution itself in all of our history.”

Napolitano continued: “[Snowden] is aware of the personal danger to himself. He knows of the likelihood of prosecution. But he also understands that the government listening to half the country is not what was bargained for when statutes were enacted in the days and weeks after 9/11.”

Asked by Smith what he thinks of the lawmakers and judges involved in signing off on the NSA’s data collection, Napolitano bluntly said: “They’re unworthy of their jobs as guardians of the American constitution.” He added:

“Anybody who thinks it is consistent with the Constitution for spies in the United States of America, working for the federal government, to spy on more than half the country, does not understand the Constitution, does not accept our values, does not understand our history and ought not be in office.”

“We raise Hell like we are raising now,” he concluded when asked what American civilians can do to change the situaiton.

Watch below, via Fox:

— —

>> Follow Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) on Twitter

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]