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 goβ¦ https://t.co/NM1npaExBYβ 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.β Bipporip got two shots πΊ (@Bipporip got two shots πΊ) 1587077513.0
@JasonSCampbell It is almost like they WANT to go to war with little to no evidence.β Chris Doray (@Chris Doray) 1587080574.0
@jm54115290 @JasonSCampbell Just watched Laura Ingraham (yeah I'm a masochist) try to spread the rumor that there aβ¦ https://t.co/1fzTejoR26β RichUSUK π³οΈβπ π¬π§ πΊπ² βοΈ (@RichUSUK π³οΈβπ π¬π§ πΊπ² βοΈ) 1587090140.0
@JasonSCampbell https://t.co/tMgRrWnV5Yβ Kenneth A. Gould (@Kenneth A. Gould) 1587075956.0
@cohenss @JasonSCampbell Lou Dobbs used to be, millennia ago, a serious newsman. Now heβs nuckin futz.β ravdbc (@ravdbc) 1587080894.0
@404Apathy @JasonSCampbell Oh yes. Nobody ever suggests war if they think they'll have to go.β John Gray (@John 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 lβ¦ https://t.co/Q1yZVkwrLlβ Son Lyme (@Son Lyme) 1587081775.0
@Son_Lyme @JasonSCampbell https://t.co/07ZpmAx2Tiβ RORSCHACH (@RORSCHACH) 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 Machineis available here.