Talk about a broadcast going from sweet to stale real quick -- a Texas news anchor is getting absolutely dragged online after making a bizarre comment about BTS-themed Oreos.

Check out this wild FOX 34 segment featuring anchor James Eppler, where the crew was casually discussing BTS' new limited-edition hotteok-flavored Oreo collab ... before Eppler suddenly claimed the cookie designs somehow spelled out "death to America."

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Yeah ... nobody knew where the hell that came from. The comment was completely false, deeply weird, and wildly out of place -- especially since the segment itself was super lighthearted and centered around cookies and K-pop.

Even Eppler's co-anchors sounded stunned in real time ... clearly confused why he'd connect BTS and a sweet treat to such a harsh anti-American message.

Eppler -- a professor at Texas Tech -- immediately tried walking the comment back and brushed it off as nothing ... but BTS fans aren't about to let that slide, with many now demanding an apology and even calling for him to be fired.

Safe to say James bit off more than he could chew with that one!

We've reached out to Eppler's station and Texas Tech for comments ... so far, no word back.