Pastor Greg Locke Feuds With 'Evil, Wicked' CNN Over Canceled Interview: 'Diabolic Jezebels'

Controversial pastor Greg Locke engaged in a name-calling feud Monday, accusing CNN journalists of being "evil" and "wicked" and saying they lied when they said he canceled an interview 20 minutes before airtime.

The conservative Tennessee pastor, who has been making headlines recently for banning face masks inside his church, claimed on Twitter that CNN correspondent Nick Valencia was lying when he said on air that Locke had previously canceled a scheduled interview with CNN. He also accused other CNN employees, including producer Allison Hedges and New Day anchor, Brianna Keilar, of being "liars."

"You guys are such LIARS!!! Absolutely disgusting. What evil and wicked nonsense you guys are spouting. There's a reason YOU guys cancelled my live interview," Locke tweeted.

His remarks came after Hedges tweeted a link to a Monday morning New Day segment where Valencia shared footage of the pastor doubling down on his anti-masking rule to congregants.

In the same video, Valencia says that Locke was scheduled for an on-air interview with a CNN crew in May. Valencia accused Locke of canceling "just 20 minutes before" the interview was scheduled to happen.

"He later sent CNN a statement saying that when he arrived at the interview he was nauseous saying that God told him to cancel the interview," Valencia said, adding that Locke "later [went] on a Facebook live stream to call that crew of three women 'diabolical jezebels.'"

Locke maintained his innocence in a subsequent Twitter post: "Dear LEFTIST MOB, I will not be intimidated by you. I will not back down. @CNN will burn in Hell with the rest of the cowards. I'll shout truth no matter what you threaten me with."

Valencia referred to Locke's behavior in the video as "shocking." He said that Locke "has been on a crusade of misinformation over the last year, calling COVID-19 a 'fake pandemic' [and] saying that the vaccines are a scam." He then explained his most recent sermon where Locke told congregants "not to wear masks and called the Delta variant a 'hoax.'"

In the same sermon, Locke also reiterated his belief that President Joe Biden was not legally elected, saying "Biden's days are numbered ... I've told you the whole time. This election was fraudulent. We got so much proof, the only people that can deny it are crack-smoking, demon-possessed leftist terrorists."

The term "Jezebel," which Locke has also applied to Vice President Kamala Harris, has multiple Biblical implications, but its modern usage is generally meant to refer negatively to a woman in power as a temptress.

Newsweek reached out to Global Vision Bible Church, where Locke is the pastor, for comment.