CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin went after Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrProsecutor says no charges in Michigan toilet voting display Judge rules Snowden to give up millions from book, speeches The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE on Wednesday for stating that he believes the Trump campaign was spied on, saying that the remark makes the top law enforcement official sound like a conservative commentator.

“This is a classic demonstration of the Fox News-ification of the Republican Party,” Toobin said on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." “That even an establishment figure like Bill Barr, someone who comes out of the George Herbert Walker Bush administration, talks like Sean Hannity.”

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"This is a completely loaded term, completely false," he added of Barr's testimony that he believes there was spying on Trump's campaign. "And by the way he didn’t just use the word 'spying.' He said he was going to conduct some sort of investigation of whether there was spying. That is a President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE talking point."

Toobin then added that Barr's use of the term "spying" showed how "the paranoid lunacy of the right wing" has moved into the Department of Justice.

"This is where the Republican Party is today," he declared.

Barr said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that he believes the intelligence community spied on the Trump campaign during 2016 and that he will look into those efforts.

“I think spying did occur,” Barr said. “But the question is whether it was adequately predicated and I’m not suggesting it wasn’t adequately predicated, but I need to explore that.”

Barr later clarified his remarks, stating that he was concerned “improper surveillance” may have occurred in 2016 and that he would be "looking into it."

Many Democratic lawmakers denounced Barr over the spying comment on Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.) accused Barr of "perpetuating conspiracy theories" and called on him to retract the statement, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare House lawmakers reach deal to avert shutdown Centrist Democrats 'strongly considering' discharge petition on GOP PPP bill MORE (D-Calif.) said that the attorney general had gone "off the rails."

The comments from Barr came as lawmakers demand he release special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's full report on his investigation into Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.