Calvin Robinson defrocked for imitating Elon Musk’s ‘Nazi salute’ during pro-life speech

Notorious right-wing priest Calvin Robinson has reportedly been defrocked by the Anglican Catholic Church after mimicking Elon Musk’s controversial salute at a recent pro-life convention.

Musk was heavily criticised for twice making the one-armed salute during his speech, which many compared to the ‘Nazi salute’ used by the fascist Party, during Donald Trump’s inauguration on 20 January.

Musk has denied that it was a fascist gesture. In response on his social media platform, X/ Twitter, Musk reshared a post from 2022 where he proclaimed that he would no longer vote Democrat and was waiting for the party’s “dirty tricks”.

Alongside the post, he wrote: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is so tired.”

Various right-wing pundits defended the Tesla owner, saying it was a poorly timed gesture and not the Nazi salute some believed it to be.

One of them, former GB News host Father Calvin Robinson, quoted Musk during a speech at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington DC, in which he thumped his chest and raised his right hand to the sky, saying: “My heart goes out with you.”

Calvin Robinson has had his ministerial licence revoked for doing the Elon Musk nazi salute. pic.twitter.com/USn2XVNZnJ

— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) January 30, 2025

In response, the Anglican Catholic Church, to which the 39-year-old belonged, announced they had revoked his license and defrocked him.

Robinson argued in a subsequent post on Thursday (30 January) that his gesture was a “joke” taken out of context by “hysterical liberals.”

He said that his “attempt at dry wit” was “not a joke at the expense of [World War II],” nor was it, he says, an admission of his support of Nazis.

“Whether a silly old cleric like me makes a poor joke is irrelevant,” the 39-year-old said. “Do not be swayed and distracted by the enemy whispering in your ears. Focus on the light. All human life is sacred. Imago Dei.”

What does “defrocked” mean?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines “defrocking” as “to dismiss a priest”, (i.e. remove him from his job, usually because of bad behaviour.

A spokesperson said that Robinson had been “warned” beforehand that online trolling is “incompatible with a priestly vocation” and was told to desist.

“Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked,” they added. “He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC.”

Robinson has been a fixture in Britain’s right-wing establishment for several years, featuring alongside pundits such as Laurence Fox and Dan Wootton on GB News before being suspended in September 2023.

The cleric, who presented Calvin’s Common Sense Crusade for the right-wing channel, simply wrote on X: “I have been suspended from GB News.” 

The former cleric originally petitioned to become a deacon for the Church of England, but had his application denied. Since then, he has described the Church as “weak and cowardly.”