Chris Cuomo destroys unapologetically racist GOP Senate candidate

Just a day after winning the Republican primary in Virginia, Trump-loving neo-Confederate Corey Stewart suffered a brutal takedown during one of his first national TV appearances as a U.S. Senate candidate.

Stewart, an unapologetic racist who is best known for cozying up to white supremacists like Charlottesville rally organizer Jason Kessler, appeared on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” Wednesday night for a post-primary interview that quickly went downhill for the newly minted GOP candidate.

In the segment, host Chris Cuomo pressed Stewart on his public support for known extremists, focusing on his acceptance of an endorsement from neo-Confederate activist Richard Hines, and his expression of adoration for anti-Semitic white supremacist Paul Nehlen, whom Stewart referred to as a “personal hero.”

Stewart immediately became defensive in the face of Cuomo’s questioning and said the CNN host was “playing the race card” by reminding him of his affiliation with racists.

When that didn’t work, Stewart invoked the far-right’s favorite boogeyman, demanding that Cuomo disavow antifa — the shorthand term used to describe anti-fascist activists.

It’s unclear if Stewart was advocating for fascism or simply being ignorant, but one thing was very clear: Cuomo wasn’t having it.

The host blasted Stewart for his absurd reference to antifa, calling it a “joke” and an “attempt to deny the facts.”

“This is the biggest joke I’ve heard in a long time,” Stewart responded.

“You think that’s a big joke?” Cuomo shot back. “Wait until what happens on Election Day.”

The heated exchange continued for several minutes as Stewart attempted to deny his past, only to get shut down again by Cuomo, who came prepared with receipts.

When asked again why he called Nehlen his hero, Stewart responded, “How many times do we have to discuss this? We’re going around in a circle.”

“We’re going to keep going like a merry-go-round until it stops,” Cuomo shot back, making it clear that Stewart’s attempts to dodge the facts weren’t going to stop him from digging in.

When Stewart yet again tried to deny knowledge of Nehlen’s anti-Semitic history, Cuomo put a quick stop to it by running through a timeline of the GOP candidate’s public expressions of support for the known white supremacist.

“You didn’t rebut a single factual assertion tonight,” Cuomo told Stewart.

“And yet,” Cuomo added, “the president of the United States thinks you should be the senator for Virginia.”

Indeed, earlier on Wednesday, Trump embraced Stewart, congratulating him on his victory in the GOP primary even as other Republicans tried their best to distance themselves from the racism that has come to define the party.

The road ahead already looked tough for Stewart — but if his performance Wednesday night is any indication, he may want to consider building in some time on the campaign trail to tend to his burns.