Robert Gilliland "Bob" Beckel (born November 15, 1948) is an American political analyst and pundit, and a former political operative. He is currently an analyst and commentator on Fox News Channel. He had previously been a commentator on the Fox News Channel, where he co-hosted The Five until he was released in 2015 after being absent for several months while recovering from back surgery. After departing Fox News in 2015, Beckel became a commentator for CNN. On January 16, 2017, he returned to Fox News as a co-host of The Five.