Former GB News presenter and Anglican priest Calvin Robinson has been fired from his church after a controversy over a contentious gesture at a rally in the United States.
Robison, speaking on stage at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., appeared to mimic Musk’s infamous “Nazi” salute. Having spoken, he placed his right hand on his chest before reaching upwards into the air with that hand—a movement eerily mirroring Musk’s recent one.
The United States Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) was quick to respond, issuing a statement in which it revealed Robinson had previously been spoken to about his Internet activities. He had been given “warning that on-line trolling and other such actions are incompatible with a priestly vocation and told to desist”, the church claimed.
Not withstanding previous warnings, Robinson continued in this fashion, and the church removed his license. The ACC ratified his dismissal: “Obviously, he has not, and therefore his license in this Church has been removed. He is no longer functioning as a priest in the ACC.”
The church also condemned Nazi ideology and emphasized the seriousness of the Holocaust: “The Holocaust was an episode of unspeakable horror. We believe that those who mimic the Nazi salute, even as a joke or an attempt to troll their opponents, trivialize the horror of the Holocaust and diminish the sacrifice of those who fought against its perpetrators.”
The ACC continued, “Such actions are hurtful, divisive and run contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
In response, Robinson denied any Nazi affiliations, claiming he was mocking “hysterical liberals” who had accused Musk of promoting Nazi symbolism. “I am not a Nazi,” Robinson said, adding his actions were meant to satirize the criticism Musk received. He suggested American audiences had misinterpreted his British “dry wit” but said he would “take the consequences as they come.”
This has not been Robinson’s only public controversy; in September of 2023 he was fired by GB News following his public expression of support for fellow presenter Dan Wootton after the latter’s dismissal for permitting misogynistic statements about a woman journalist to air unchallenged. Now, Robinson, at that time, said: “GB News is scared, and it showed that the network truly lives in fear of the ‘woke mob’.” He added: “If Wootton goes, we go.”
Elon Musk has not responded to Robinson’s apparent impersonation of his controversial salute. The incident has reignited debates around issues of free speech, online trolling, and the thin line that exists between satire and offense.
Now facing the consequences of his actions after his dismissal, the future of Robinson remains uncertain—not just within the media but also within religious circles.
