CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck reported last week that Robinson made a “series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a 'black NAZI!' and expressed support for reinstating slavery.” (Robinson, who was previously a right-wing commentator, has a long history of toxic remarks.) Prior to that report, numerous conservative media figures, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Dan Bongingo, Charlie Kirk, and Gorka had lavished praise on Robinson.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly cited Gorka, a radio host and Newsmax commentator. Trump has done interviews with the MAGA loyalist and said that Gorka is “fantastic” and there’s “so much to be learned from Sebastian.”

Gorka invited Robinson on the September 25 edition of his Salem Radio Network program to defend himself and to reaffirm his support for the North Carolina lieutenant governor.

During the interview, Gorka told him: “CNN is not a news agency, and I hope you sue them into the ground. … I hope you win. I hope you win the campaign.”

He later added: “I've seen it before, so many, many times. When they can't beat you in a fair fight, they go dirty and they go dark.” He also promoted Robinson’s campaign website.

Robinson told the Trump ally during the interview that the CNN report was false and “so much of what we see the news media doing right now is — it's shades of Soviet Russia. It's the show trials. It's the propaganda.”

He was also asked about the relationship between him and Trump. Robinson said that he doesn’t want to “draw fire to any other candidate,” including Trump, and then said he’s given him “space.”

Robinson then added, in an apparent attempt to reassure the pro-MAGA Gorka that he’s still part of the Republican team: “We've spoken to him, had great conversations with him, but we have chosen to do that. And — because we want to make sure that he wins this state.”

Fellow Newsmax commentator Greg Kelly has also been strongly defending Robinson. And Fox News has been burying the story while host Sean Hannity has been doing cleanup for Trump.*