Jack Hibbs, a Southern California megachurch pastor and supporter of President Donald Trump, told viewers of his Wednesday night broadcast that he believes the COVID-19 coronavirus is a biological warfare weapon launched by the Chinese government to counter the strategic moves being made by the Trump administration. He warned that it was engineered to mutate and will begin to attack younger people.
Video of Hibbs’ conversation with Christian television host Don Stewart had been viewed more than 100,000 times as of Thursday morning. It was also broadcast on HIS Channel, a Christian TV network and streaming service on which Stewart hosts a nightly news show. The video is also available dubbed in Spanish and Chinese.
Hibbs, pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, is a politically active ally of Christian nationalist political operative David Lane; he recently provided a platform for Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk to portray politics as “spiritual war” and Trump’s election as the result of divine intervention.
Hibbs told viewers of his Wednesday night “Happening Now” program, “I absolutely believe that this is biological warfare launched by China because China was in its—if China didn’t do this, they couldn’t survive the Trump administration. They had to disrupt the world to disrupt this administration and its success.” Conspiracy theorists have insisted that the virus is a man-made bioweapon created by China–a claim that has been routinely debunked by experts.
“Trump took our economy to world record heights, then we got hit by the Chinese,” Hibbs said. “If the other team would have been elected, and we got hit by the Chinese, you and I would be speaking Chinese by now.”
Referring to the economic consequences of the pandemic, Hibbs said that if the virus is a form of warfare, which he believes it is, “their war tactic was better than a nuclear bomb.”
During the broadcast, Hibbs denounced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “sick,” “perverse” and “demonic,” claiming that she held up economic relief legislation “because she wanted, in the coronavirus bailout, money to kill babies”–an apparent reference to Democrats’ calls for nonprofits providing family planning services to be eligible for emergency aid.
In contrast, Hibbs had only positive things to say about Trump and the “amazing job” he is doing. “I cannot imagine what condition we would be in if Trump would not have been elected,” he said.
Hibbs backed Trump’s stated goal of getting the United States “opened up” by Easter. Hibbs said that economists say the “breaking point” for the U.S. economy “is somewhere around the few 72 hours that just happens, Don, to be Easter weekend.” Hibbs added, “America has got to get back to work by April 13, or America is going to fail.”
In response to a question from a viewer about how Trump’s understanding of world affairs is being impacted by his spiritual advisers, Hibbs responded, “I cannot answer that question. I’m not legally allowed to answer that question.” Stewart jumped in to tell Hibbs, “We’re glad you’re not legally allowed to answer that, Jack, ‘cause God’s put you for such a time as this there.” Stewart added, “The Holy Spirit is working in this administration … He’s working in ways that are beyond our comprehension.”
The two marveled at the number of people in the administration who share their biblical worldview, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who promotes the global spread of Christian fundamentalism and who prevented the issuance of a joint statement with leaders of the Group of Seven nations by insisting that it refer to COVID-19 as the “Wuhan virus.”
Hibbs and Stewart said that current events, including the dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil prices, are the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a sign that we are living in the End Times. Hibbs said the foretold Antichrist may be “on the planet walking around,” adding, “I can almost smell his cologne, so to speak.”
