(CNN) Corey Stewart, the Republican nominee for US Senate in Virginia, used racist stereotypes to disparage NFL players who protest during the National Anthem in an online exchange with his supporters last year.

"A lot of these guys, I mean, they're thugs, they are beating up their girlfriends and their wives," Stewart said, "you know, they've got, you know, children all over the place that they don't pay attention to, don't father, with many different women, they are womanizers. These are not people that we should have our sons, or any of our children look up to. We need to have our children look up to real role models"

Stewart made his comments in September 2017, on a Facebook live event that was dedicated entirely to talking about protesting football players. Earlier that day he had held a news conference in Washington, DC, on the same subject.

The Virginia Republican is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who is strongly favored to keep his seat. CNN rates the Virginia Senate race as solid Democrat, the least competitive rating.

Later in the Facebook session, Stewart again called players in the NFL thugs, and compared them to servicemembers in America's military.