Falwell Says People Are ‘Overreacting’ To Coronavirus, Suggests It’s All Anti-Trump Conspiracy

The President of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell, Jr., speaks at the Republican National Convention on September 10, 2019. (Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Like many of President Donald Trump’s allies, Evangelical leader and president of Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr. tried to downplay the COVID-19 outbreak that has been rapidly spreading across the country.

“You know, it’s just strange to me how so many are overreacting,” Falwell told the co-hosts of “Fox and Friends” Friday morning.

Hinting at some sort of anti-Trump conspiracy theory, the Evangelical claimed there was “not the same hype” over H1N1 (aka the swine flu) in 2009.

“And it makes you wonder if there’s a political reason for that,” he said. “Impeachment didn’t work, and the Mueller report didn’t work, and Article 25 didn’t work, and so maybe now this is their next attempt to get Trump.”

Falwell also floated another conspiracy theory: The coronavirus could be the “Christmas gift” North Korea had threatened to give to the U.S. in December.

“Could it be they got together with China and this is that present? I don’t know,” he said. “But it really is something strange going on.”

For weeks, Trump and his conservative foot soldiers have been trying to minimize the impact of the coronavirus while accusing critics of hyping up the disease – all in an effort to shield the Trump administration from criticism of its poor response to the outbreak.

Watch Falwell below:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. I hear you can catch coronavirus from a pool boy.

  2. America Responds:

    Fuck You Falwell.

  3. I have a conservative friend that tried to get me to go to a conservative men’s retreat at Graham’s retreat center in western NC, the Cove. I can’t imagine listen to idiots like this for a weekend.

    edit I need to ask him if it’s been canceled, or are they going to have faith, let it go on and let god sort them out?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

191 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ajm Avatar for marnold Avatar for cervantes Avatar for inversion Avatar for dont Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for lastroth Avatar for greylady Avatar for dickweed Avatar for gailefranz Avatar for tena Avatar for beattycat Avatar for jinnj Avatar for docd Avatar for susanintheoc Avatar for brian512 Avatar for hahagoodman Avatar for kelaine Avatar for msc00 Avatar for alabamaken Avatar for zillacop Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for rb36912

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: