Without any evidence to back him up, Fox Business ' Lou Dobbs used his platform to spread a conspiracy theory on Thursday.
The host called thevirus a "biological weapon" and suggested the United States should go to war with China.
Dobbs asked during an interview with former deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland on Lou Dobbs Tonight:
"If we don't go to war over the loss of 31,000 now, and certainly more to come, 31,000 American lives, what do we go to war over?"
"When do we quit sending strong letters and talking tough? At what point are there consequences for this kind of behavior?"
"Because whether they did it intentionally or not, we do know this: that that virus was unleashed on the world and they lied, and that is the same as making it an intentional and conscious act of warfare, as far as I'm concerned."
Lou Dobbs speculates coronavirus could be a biological weapon used by the Chinese military, adding "If we don't goâ�¦ https://t.co/NM1npaExBY— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell)1587073660.0
Dobbs failed to garner many supporters.
@JasonSCampbell Get those guys protesting with the guns in Michigan to sign up.— Bipporipð��º (@Bipporipð��º)1587077513.0
@JasonSCampbell It is almost like they WANT to go to war with little to no evidence.— Chris Doray - I draw so you don't have to. (@Chris Doray - I draw so you don't have to.)1587080574.0
@JasonSCampbell @roripierpont1 @LouDobbs Another draft dodger who wants us to go to war.— Brian Regal, PhD (@Brian Regal, PhD)1587075624.0
@jm54115290 @JasonSCampbell Just watched Laura Ingraham (yeah I'm a masochist) try to spread the rumor that there aâ�¦ https://t.co/1fzTejoR26— Caveat Lector ð��ºð��¸ð��³ï¸�â��ð���ð��¬ð��§â��ï¸� (@Caveat Lector ð��ºð��¸ð��³ï¸�â��ð���ð��¬ð��§â��ï¸�)1587090140.0
@RichUSUK @JasonSCampbell Crazy. Instead of providing helpful info on how the avoid spreading and vontracting the vâ�¦ https://t.co/ucieanOZIX— Bad to the Bone (@Bad to the Bone)1587090370.0
@JasonSCampbell https://t.co/tMgRrWnV5Y— Kenneth A. Gould (@Kenneth A. Gould)1587075956.0
@cohenss @JasonSCampbell Lou Dobbs used to be, millennia ago, a serious newsman. Now heâ��s nuckin futz.— ravdbc (@ravdbc)1587080894.0
@404Apathy @JasonSCampbell Oh yes. Nobody ever suggests war if they think they'll have to go.— J.A. Gray (@J.A. Gray)1587113361.0
But one respondent was sure they had Dobbs figured out.
@JasonSCampbell They need a distraction which is why the State Department started leaking the stuff about suspect lâ�¦ https://t.co/Q1yZVkwrLl— Son Lyme (@Son Lyme)1587081775.0
@Son_Lyme @JasonSCampbell https://t.co/07ZpmAx2Ti— Jodo Kast #StayAtHomeMorons (@Jodo Kast #StayAtHomeMorons)1587082545.0
The Lou Dobbs Tonight host and devout President Donald Trump fan joined the chorus of supporters deflecting blame for the poor federal response to the pandemic from Trump to China.
However, genetic researchers and infectious disease experts disagree.
The book The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine is available here.