Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed this week that the Democratic Party and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' Two GOP governors urge Republicans to hold off on Supreme Court nominee Sanders knocks McConnell: He's going against Ginsburg's 'dying wishes' MORE (I-Vt.), a 2020 White House hopeful, pose a “greater threat” to the U.S. than the coronavirus, which has killed thousands of people worldwide.

During his show on Wednesday, Limbaugh, a staunch supporter of President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE, said: “There’s no question that Bernie Sanders poses a far greater threat to this country and the Democrat Party than the coronavirus — and I mean to say that.”

“The Democrat Party, as it’s currently constituted, poses a much greater threat to this country than the coronavirus does. And you can quote me on that,” he continued.

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He made similar remarks attacking Sanders, the current Democratic front-runner and a self-described democratic socialist, on his show the day before, saying the senator “is by far and away the greater threat than the coronavirus.”

However, he sought to explain his rationale behind the claim during his show on Wednesday.

“But think about it,” he said. “The coronavirus has a mortality rate of 2 percent. The mortality rate for countries with socialism is 100 percent. Socialism kills every country it comes in contact with, folks. Socialism destroys wealth — everybody’s wealth except the leaders.”

“Socialism destroys liberty. It destroys freedom. It destroys prosperity. It destroys dreams. Socialism destroys 100 percent of every country it comes in contact with. Ditto communism,” he continued.

He also again claimed that Democrats were “trying to weaponize a virus that doesn’t know a Democrat from a Republican from a conservative from a liberal.”

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“They are trying to use this coronavirus to scare the hell out of everybody in their madcap hopes of finding something that will get rid of Donald Trump.”

Those remarks came just a few days after Limbaugh, who was recently awarded the Medal of Freedom, similarly accused the news media of trying to weaponize the outbreak of the virus against Trump and pushed a conspiracy theory that it was initially concocted as a bioweapon.

During her television program on Fox News on Wednesday night, Laura Ingraham Laura Anne IngrahamEx-Pence aide: Trump spent 45 minutes of task force meeting 'going off on Tucker Carlson' instead of talking coronavirus Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs to be deposed in Seth Rich lawsuit: report NYC living statue shows Trump desecrating graves of war dead, COVID-19 victims MORE, an ardent Trump defender, also accused Democrats and the media of trying to “weaponize fear” over the virus “to improve their chances against Trump in November.”

The commentary from both conservative hosts comes as Trump has sought to downplay concerns over the spread of the new virus amid mounting pressure from Democrats and some Republicans that he step up his administration's response to its spread.