Christian evangelist Franklin Graham used an appearance on Fox News to suggest that the coronavirus is divine punishment for humanity turning its back against God.

Speaking with Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night, Graham was asked to make sense of Covid-19’s worldwide devastation, and the Fox host wondered “How could God allow this thing to happen?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s God’s plan for this to happen. It’s because of the sin that’s in the world,” Graham answered. “Man has turned his back on God, we have sinned against him, and we need to ask for God’s forgiveness and that’s what Easter’s all about.”

After recalling the story of Easter, Graham continued to say “this pandemic, this is the result of a fallen world. A world that has turned its back on God.” Pirro reacted to Graham’s call for prayer by calling the times a moment of introspection for the world.

Franklin Graham says people are dying of the Coronavirus because man has sinned against god. He goes on to say the pandemic is happening because the world has turned its back on god. pic.twitter.com/Kejq9jzeLu

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 5, 2020

This interview really seemed to piss people off on Twitter, with good reason:

It *should* end a presidency, but right now there are people watching Franklin Graham on FOX and saying: "How terrible for Mr. Trump that he had to be President on the day Jesus decided to kill the ungodly with this plague. We should support him in this difficult trial from God." https://t.co/xgJEptKvZk

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 5, 2020

Last Tuesday, President Trump praised Franklin Graham as "an extraordinary person" and said, "He loves helping people. And he loves Jesus; that I can tell you." https://t.co/L41g35mYz2

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 5, 2020

Hey @Franklin_Graham: I just spoke with God. She says (a) she respects atheists (b) the Earth is round (c) she believes in science (d) #pandemics happen (4) #Trump is a grossly incompetent liar who's mishandled #coronavirus since Day-1…and THAT'S why people are dying… https://t.co/O9qM7IhNfb

— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) April 5, 2020

Franklin Graham is a lunatic megalomaniac just like trump. He is just the kind of person Jesus warned us about. Stay away from his smarmy hate filled crap. It can be infectious. https://t.co/NGVc3wDrDB

— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) April 5, 2020

Franklin Graham represents the seedy underbelly of a religious cult.

There are many good Christians out there. He, on the other hand, is the devil. https://t.co/aqnAQFQeFQ

— James Kosur (@JamesKosur) April 5, 2020