Who is Pastor Calvin Robinson? Pastor defrocked over imitating Elon Musk's controversial salute

Elon Musk Holds Town Hall With Pennsylvania Voters in Lancaster - Source: Getty
The Anglican Catholic Church stated that doing the N*zi salute, even as a joke, trivializes Holocaust. (Image via Getty Images)

Pastor Calvin Robinson has recently been stripped of his church license after allegedly imitating Elon Musk’s viral N*zi salute while addressing a pro-life convention. During his speech at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., on January 25, he asserted that the United States is the "only country fighting for life."

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Robinson then put his right hand to the chest before outstretcing it in the opposite side, as he concluded his remarks. As per many his gesture mimicked Musk's alleged N*zi salute on January 20, 2025, while giving a speech at US President Donald Trump's inauguration.

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Soon after Robinson's speech and the alleged salute, he was defrocked by the Anglican Catholic Church.

Pastor Calvin Robinson is a British parish priest, conservative pundit, radio host, and political advisor. In addition, he hosts podcasts like Fox & Father and Common Sense Crusade and serves as the spokesman for UKIP.


British Continuing Anglican pastor Calvin Robinson has been stripped of his status from the church

Calvin John Robinson is a British Continuing Anglican pastor who also writes, broadcasts, and comments on politics. Calvin Robinson received a degree in computer game design and programming from the University of Westminster.

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He also ran as the Conservative Party's candidate in a 2016 by-election for Brent Council's Kilburn ward, however he lost. He served as a deacon in the Free Church of England from 2022 until his priestly ordination in 2023. Before 2024, he served as a priest in the Nordic Catholic Church.

In the Conservative-held Swiss Cottage ward of Camden Council, he ran as a Conservative in 2018 but lost to Labour Party candidates once more. In the 2019 general election, Robinson was selected as the Brexit Party's candidate for Broxtowe; however, the party decided not to run in seats that the Conservatives had previously won.

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He was also a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church from 2024 to January 2025. Robinson has previously been a secondary school computer science instructor and a journalist covering video games.

Calvin Robinson has also served in several capacities for right-wing political campaigns and organizations, such as Conservative Way Forward, Unite2Leave, and Defund the BBC. He has also written for Black Lives Matter UK: An Anthology, a report by the Henry Jackson Society that criticizes "hard-left identity politics" and the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Recently, Calvin Robinson made headlines when his license was revoked and he was defrocked by the Anglican Catholic church.

On Wednesday, January 29, the church posted a note on its website that read:

“Mr. Robinson had been warned that online trolling and other such actions (whether in service of the left or right) are 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. He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC.
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The statement also mentioned the seriousness of doing the salute and argued:

"We believe that those who mimic the N*zi 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. Such actions are harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity."
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On Thursday, January 30, Calvin Robinson defended himself and reduced his acts to a "joke" as he tweeted:

“My attempt at dry wit, in that typical British way, was not a joke at the expense of WWII, nor an admission of my membership in the Nationalist Socialist Party.”

He further continued:

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

Robinson stated in the tweet that he is "not a N*zi" and argued that his gesture was a dig at "hysterical “liberals” who called Elon Musk a N*zi for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them".

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Edited by Niharika Dabral
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