We are in the midst of a pandemic. Within the context of the right-wing wingnut brigade, it is a pandemic of misinformation and alternative facts.
Listen to the babbling from these voices and what becomes clear is that many of these people simply do not grasp either the seriousness of what is actually happening or how rapidly things are now changing.
Let’s take a look to see what has popped up this past week.
Wingnut proclamations from the last 7 days
Here for your enjoyment is this week’s selection of actual wingnut gems. It has all been mined from a stream of befuddled right-wing extremism blended with religious literalism
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Denialism
- Rodney Howard-Browne: Coronavirus Pandemic Is a Globalist Plot to Kill People With Vaccines … “right-wing pastor and radicalconspiracy theorist Rodney Howard-Browne held services at his The River church in Tampa Bay, Florida, last Sunday, where he encouraged congregants to greet one another by shaking hands because, as he said, “we’re raising up revivalists, not pansies.”
- I’m looking forward to seeing him attempt to lay hands on Trump to pray for him
- Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke … “GO INTO THE STREETS FOLKS. Visit bars, restaurants, shopping malls, CHURCHES and demand that your schools re-open. NOW! If government doesn’t stop this foolishness…STAY IN THE STREETS. END GOVERNEMNT CONTROL OVER OUR LIVES. IF NOT NOW, WHEN? THIS IS AN EXPLOITATION OF A CRISIS,”
- Anybody listening to this guy is putting themselves at great risk
- Trump-Boosting Megachurch Pastor Mocks Those Who Skipped Church For Fear of Coronavirus … “Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus?” Maldonado asked. “Of course not.”
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Folks who just don’t get it
- The Daily Wire co-founder and COO Jeremey Boreing is angry that businesses are shutting down because of the outbreak: … “Shutting down private businesses is overreach. Shutting down restaurants in a city of four million people is criminal. There are hundreds of thousands of people who don’t have food at home, don’t know how to cook… grocery stores aren’t built to feed 100% of us 100% of the time.”
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Bizarre
- Paula White claims that when President Donald Trump was briefed on the coronavirus outbreak, he “immediately” knew that he had to call the nation to prayer.
- “Thoughts and Prayers” is as effective against the coronavirus as it is against bullets.
- Brenden Dilley declares that Americans are lucky to be living under the only president in history to show “real leadership” during a pandemic.
- Kenneth Copeland: Hatred Toward Trump ‘Opened the Door’ for the Coronavirus Outbreak … “This disease called COVID-19 will be over much sooner than you think,” God reportedly told Copeland. “Christian people all over this country praying have overwhelmed it.”
- The actual statistical facts do not validate this … but that’s true with everything this scamvangelist says.
- What he is really worried about is this. He told his viewers that even if they lose their jobs because of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, they must continue giving him money: … “Whatever you do right now, don’t you stop tithing!”
- Perry Stone: It’s No Coincidence That States That Oppose Trump Have the Largest Coronavirus Outbreaks
- Fact Check: There are reported cases of coronavirus in all 50 states.
- Larry Klayman is suing China for $20 trillion over the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
- That will be $20 trillion Zimbabwean dollars … which as about 30 cents.
- Tom Horn warns that the coronavirus outbreak may give rise to the Antichrist.
- Somebody should advise Tom that he is already here, and remind him that he voted him into office in 2016
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Conspiracy Claims
- Scott Lively writes that “the Coronavirus plague is a globalist-orchestrated pandemic designed to kill the international populist/nationalist rebellion.” He adds: “Are the elites truly that black-hearted to kill possibly millions of their fellow human beings to serve their political interests? For politically-awakened students of history that’s a rhetorical question. People who can and have justified wars of aggression, assassinations, violent regime change, and even the slaughter of innocent unborn babies by the millions are obviously morally capable of spreading disease as a political tactic.”
- Austin Miles asserts that “demoncrats … want all Trump Supporters to die” so that “they could turn the entire continent into a democrat-Communist paradise.”
- The very best rebuttal to almost any Republican claim these days is to simply quote the claim
- Liz Crokin Claims Celebrities Are Getting Coronavirus From Tainted ‘Adrenochrome Supply’ …“I also believe that this virus was created by the cabal, specifically Bill Gates,”
- Says the lady typing this on a PC that is currently running Windows.
- Rep. Peter King Entertains Conspiracy Theory that Coronavirus Is a Chinese Bioweapon
- Dave Daubenmire says that it is not a coincidence that … “the coronavirus hits at the same time as 5G is being released.”
- actually … yes it is.
- Tom Fitton warns that Democrats are using the coronavirus outbreak to push for vote-by-mail elections, so they can engage in massive voter fraud.
- Evidence of actual cases of Democratic voter fraud independently verified – exactly zero.
- Evidence of actual cases of Republican voter fraud independently verified – not zero
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – The Wrath Of God
- Perry Stone Claims America’s Coronavirus Outbreak Is a ‘Reckoning’ for Allowing Abortion and Gay Marriage … “If this is a moment of reckoning, and I know it is; I know what I heard, I did not make that up,” Stone said. “I audibly heard the phrase, a male voice speaking, and I believe it was the Holy Spirit.”
- Yes, he really is telling us that the voices in his head told him this.
As I pointed out last week, it might be tempting to think that the news of the Coronavirus has turned all these folks crazy. Alas no, they were always this crazy.
Utterly Bizarre …
The normal crazy stuff also popped up as usual …
- Scott Lively declares that … “scorn for conspiracy theories in mainstream society is itself evidence of a conspiracy to inculcate self-censoring behavior in the citizenry to suppress inquiry into the agenda of the Marxist ideologies in control of our media, academia and other institutions.”
- Andrew Wommack says that … “when you are teaching the principles that are in the Constitution, you are teaching from scripture. It was based on the word of God.”
What else came out of the Wingnut fantasy land?
Lots of other stuff.
As always, it is an endless stream. Some of it is sad, some is rather grim, and some is quite frankly hilarious. Here are a few more samples …
- Anti-LGBTQ “Activist Mommy” Elizabeth Johnston Files for Divorce
- Christian Mommy Blogger: Abortion and Being Trans Are Worse Than Coronavirus
- This fundamentalist won’t wash her hands and refuses to take the disease seriously.
- Church Sets Attendance Goal of “AT LEAST 250 People” Despite Coronavirus Scare
- They also urged everyone to ignore the “raw, unmitigated stupidity” of science experts.
- Falwell Won’t Close Liberty U., Says COVID-19 Is Just an “Attempt to Get Trump”
- The people who reject science are going to put us all in danger.
- A Liberty U. Parent Asked Why the School’s Open. Falwell Called Him a “Dummy.”
- Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum Refuse to Close During Coronavirus Scare
- What did you expect from people who don’t accept science?
- Then this happened … Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum Will Now Close Due to Coronavirus Scare
- Archbishop: Drinking Holy Water is Fine Since “Christ Does Not Spread Germs”
- The response to COVID-19 is not Satanic, no matter what religious fools like this say.
- Faith Healers Had to Postpone an Event Due to the Coronavirus
- My irony meter just exploded.
- An Alabama Pastor Invited Coronavirus-Infected People to Church for Oil & Prayer
- This is really not going to help
- Christian Blogger: COVID-19 is God’s Way of Making Moms Homeschool Their Kids
- This has simply got to make the list of “worst possible takes on the coronavirus”
- Paula White: The Virus Has Delayed the IRS Deadline, So Keep Giving Me Money!
- Christian Activist: COVID-19 Arose After the Chinese Ate Biblically Unclean Food
- The Bible also says pork is unclean. So what?
- Catholic Priest Who Abused 30+ Kids Says He Should Retain Priesthood
- Vincent Ryan doesn’t think molesting children should interfere with his job security.
- Pastor Claims to Speak in “Four Languages” During Gibberish-Filled Prayer
- One of those languages, Perry Stone said, “is Asia, somewhere.”
- Dave Ramsey Refuses to Close His Offices After Employee Contracts COVID-19
- The evangelical financial guru won’t accept the seriousness of the pandemic.
- Despite COVID-19, These Evangelicals Want to Convert Isolated Brazilian Tribes
- They’re bringing their victims Christ and coronavirus.
Wingnut of the week
Creationist Kent Hovind: Yes, a Boy Drowned at My Park, But His Siblings “Had a Blast Here” …
We had, this last Sunday, rumors going around the internet about an accidental drowning here at Dinosaur Adventure Land, and it’s true. There was a family with five kids, twin seven-year-olds, all playing in the lake together. The water was three feet deep. Suddenly the dad noticed that Steven, the 7-year-old, was gone. And he apparently slipped on the dock and hit his head. Nobody saw. We don’t know. But he did drown in our lake. And we tried — [to someone off-screen] your wife is a medical doctor, and she’s right there on the scene with him. As soon as she got him out of the water — we don’t know how long he was underwater — she gave him CPR, probably did everything right, took him to the hospital…
Yeah, I mean… it’s just… too late. We don’t know what happened.
Anyway, the kids had a blast here, and the dad wants to bring all the kids back and loves the place…
His complete lack of any basic human empathy is truly jaw dropping. A brainless guy is heartless, too.