Right-wing and far-right Christian media figures are using the April 8 solar eclipse and April 5 earthquake to push conspiracy theories and apocalyptic rhetoric, including claiming that they “foretell the coming of a Great Leader” and “point to the Antichrist’s agenda.”
Molly Butler / Media Matters
Research/Study
Far-right media figures are using the eclipse and recent earthquake to push apocalyptic conspiracy theories
A guest on the Christian program FlashPoint suggested the eclipse was “a serious warning” proving that if the nation doesn’t “repent,” “the threat is actually civil war”
Written by Payton Armstrong & Jack Winstanley
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- Conspiracy theorists and right-wing Christian media figures have previously attributed weather events to “demonic attack,” biblical prophecy, or the End Times
- Right-wing conspiracy theorists and far-right Christian media figures pushed conspiracy theories about the April 8 eclipse and April 5 earthquake, including that it’s a sign of the End Times
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Conspiracy theorists and right-wing Christian media figures have previously attributed weather events to “demonic attack,” biblical prophecy, or the End Times
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- Conspiracy theorists and right-wing Christian media figures have repeatedly attributed natural disasters to End Times. More recently, conservative pundits and right-wing Christian media figures have attributed natural disasters to “demonic attack,” biblical prophecy, or the End Times. [Salon, 4/5/24; Media Matters, 12/11/23]
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Right-wing conspiracy theorists and far-right Christian media figures pushed conspiracy theories about the April 8 eclipse and April 5 earthquake, including that it’s a sign of the End Times
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- MAGA troll and Pizzagate promoter Jack Posobiec suggested in a social media post that the earthquake and eclipse “foretell the coming of a Great Leader.” [Twitter/X, 4/8/24]
- Naomi Wolf, who has pushed COVID-19 conspiracy theories, suggested the eclipse and earthquake are signs of “the end.” Wolf shared a post that claimed the eclipse would be a “biblical event,” and said, “I don’t agree with all of the below but it is worth reading.” With the post, Wolf wrote: “Earthquakes, eclipses, Red Heifers, National Guard…a lot of coincidences. What if there are already multiple dimensions on our Earth? I’m reading the Hopi prophecies and what rings true is that they believe that ‘shadow’ beings will be on earth among humans toward the end. Sure seems plausible now.” [Twitter/X, 4/6/24]
- Christian nationalist media figure Sean Feucht connected the timing of the “eclipses, earthquakes and historic [lightning] strikes.” Feucht, who is connected to high-profile Republican politicians including former President Donald Trump, cited a Bible verse to suggest God was behind the events “happening with a matter of days from each other.” [Twitter/X, 4/5/24; Media Matters, 9/14/23]
- Infowars’ Alex Jones claimed that “Masonic rituals” would coincide with the eclipse. His full post read, “Major Events Surrounding The April 8th Solar Eclipse” and “Masonic rituals planned worldwide to usher in New World Order.” [Twitter/X, 4/2/24]
- Right-wing outlet Charisma News posted an article about a video from the YouTube account “Joseph Z” — which the outlet described as a “prophetic voice” — that claimed the eclipse and earthquake “point to the Antichrist's agenda.” Charisma News has been the top sponsor of the ReAwaken America tour, which has featured Trump’s son Eric Trump. The article suggested “other signs throughout the year will occur as part of an ‘after-effect’ of the eclipse.” [Charisma News, 4/5/24; Rolling Stone, 2/28/23; Media Matters, 10/16/23]
- Self-described “prophet” Lance Wallnau claimed that the eclipse’s path crosses over a number of cities with names that appear in the Bible, and that the earthquake occurred near Trump’s New Jersey golf course. His full post read, “And the details. Eclipse goes over 7 cities with Nineveh in title, converges with 2017 eclipse over city called ‘New Egypt’ and the NJ earthquake was exactly 7 miles from Trump’s Golf Course 7 months before election! (I added the last detail just to trigger my prophecy critics).” [Twitter/X, 4/6/24; Rolling Stone, 9/29/22]
- On X, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) claimed that the eclipse and earthquake are “signs to tell us to repent.” Her full post read, “God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come. I pray that our country listens.” [Twitter/X, 4/5/24]
- On FlashPoint, a show helmed by Christian nationalists, radio host Troy Brewer suggested the eclipse was “a serious warning” and proved that if the nation doesn’t “repent,” “the threat is actually civil war.” Trump has been interviewed on FlashPoint — at least six times — and several members of Congress, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), have also appeared on the program. [Victory Channel, FlashPoint, 4/2/24; Media Matters, 7/18/23]
- The network ElijahStreams, which hosts “prophets” and “prophetic guests,” dedicated an hour-long stream to discussing the “Biblical & Prophetic Meaning of the Eclipse.” Host Steve Shultz claimed that restarting CERN’s Large Hadron Collider on the same day as the eclipse, and a comet supposedly passing at the same time, is an “occultic opportunity” for them “to open up a gateway for Satan to come out.” Later in the stream, guest David Herzog added that “something is going on definitely that day, because why else would all the demonic powers also try to be something?” [Rumble, ElijahStreams, 4/5/24]
- On TikTok, users spread conspiracy theories that the eclipse was evidence of an imminent doomsday, per a report from Quartz. According to the outlet, “One of the most common claims that has been circulating online … is that the solar eclipse will pass over six, seven, or eight (depending on who you ask) towns named Nineveh,” with some users even producing “maps that claim to show the path of totality going over these towns.” [Quartz, 3/28/24]