Retired judge Andrew Napolitano said on Fox News Thursday that former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee makes a "credible and compelling argument" that President Trump lied to the public about why Comey was fired.

“If you look…at the big picture…you get a very, very credible and compelling argument that the president of the United States has not been truthful with the American people," Napolitano said.

The Fox News contributor went on to say that if Trump attempted to shut down the Russian investigation to "preserve Justice Department resources," that would be a "legitimate" order, while doing it to "protect a friend" would be "corrupt."

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Comey said in his testimony that before firing him, Trump asked if he could "let go" of the probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The administration's first reason given for Comey's ouster in early May was his handling of the investigation last year into Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE's private email server. But Trump contradicted that version later the same week, saying it was indeed about the probe into Russian election interference.

Trump's White famously cited Napolitano in March when he accused President Obama of using a British intelligence service to wiretap Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

“Judge Andrew Napolitano made the following statement, quote, ‘Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command,’ ” Sean Spicer said during a daily press briefing in March.

In his defense of his statements, Trump called Napolitano a "talented legal mind," despite the judge being pulled from Fox News over the debunked comments.