Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, made offensive and upsetting comments on a pornographic website and described himself as “black NAZI,” revealed a bombshell CNN report.
Republicans, particularly in North Carolina, are now evaluating the possible consequences for Donald Trump, the GOP presidential candidate, in wake of the shocking report.
On Thursday, CNN revealed that Robinson, with the username “minisoldr”, made the remarks over ten years ago. He claimed to be a “black NAZI” and a supporter of slavery. According to the report, he also recalled an incident of “peeping” on women in the shower at the age of 14.
Who is Mark Robinson? A look at history of his incendiary remarks
Robinson, an ally of Trump, has a history of making divisive comments about Jews, gay individuals and others. Ahead of the North Carolina gubernatorial election, which will also take place on November 5 to elect the governor of the famous swing state, experts have raised concerns about the impact of Robinson's statements on his race and Trump on the election day.
Robinson, who sees himself as a conservative family man, is currently trailing Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein in the race for North Carolina's open governorship.
{{/usCountry}}Robinson, who sees himself as a conservative family man, is currently trailing Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein in the race for North Carolina's open governorship.
{{/usCountry}}Robinson, a 56-year-old former furniture manufacturer, won the 2020 election to become the first black lieutenant governor of the state.
Despite being well-known and holding a statewide office, Robinson has a contentious past that includes calling the Holocaust “hogwash” and homosexuality “filth.”
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In 2021, he received backlash for his remarks that kids shouldn't be taught about “transgenderism, homosexuality, or any of that filth” in schools. He, however, declined to issue an apology despite flak.
Earlier this year, he acknowledged that he had paid for his wife to have an abortion, which seemed contradictory to his stated opposition to the procedure, which he had previously compared to “murder” and “genocide.” Robinson's actions drew criticism for his hypocrisy.
While the race for governor of North Carolina is still seen as competitive, Republicans in the state told ABC News that they already believed Robinson was losing and that Thursday's news wouldn't change their opinion.
Speaking to ABC News, North Carolina GOP strategist mentioned that Robinson is known for publishing such comments, but the latest ones are “a little more graphic”.
“[Robinson] was already toast,” stated Doug Heye, a seasoned GOP strategist with work experience in North Carolina. Heye noted that the Trump campaign is obviously concerned about whether it will harm the former President. “It doesn’t directly cost him voters, but his endorsed pick continues to be a big distraction and has no money to drive out the vote.”
Trump donor Dan Eberhart called Robinson a “baby blue anchor” around the GOP presidential contender's chances in the Tar Heel State. “This is not good news for Trump's campaign at all,” he added.
Here's what Kamala Harris campaign and Trump team have to say
Democrats have started linking Robinson to Trump, who has lauded him on multiple occasions and once referred to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
One of the Harris campaign, Kamala HQ released a series of videos on X, showing Trump complimenting Robinson. One of the video was captioned as “best friends”.
According to Bruce Thompson, a Democratic donor in North Carolina: “The real impact is on all of the Republicans who have endorsed and campaigned alongside him.”
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, struck a confident note when she declared that the staff of the former president will “not take our eye off the ball.”
She asserted that Trump's main goals are “winning the White House” and preserving this nation.
Calling North Carolina an essential component of his plan, she said, “We are confident that as voters compare the Trump record of a strong economy, low inflation, a secure border, and safe streets, with the failures of Biden-Harris, then President Trump will win the Tarheel State once again.”
Robinson denies allegations
Meanwhile, Robinson denied all the wrongdoings and allegations against him in a post on X.
“Let me reassure you, the things you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he stated.
“We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump is set to visit North Carolina tomorrow.
According to recent North Carolina polls, Harris and Trump are virtually tied among prospective voters.
The Tar Heel State has been a Republican bastion for the past twenty-plus years, and only one Democratic presidential nominee has prevailed there.
In 2020, Trump defeated Joe Biden in North Carolina by a margin of less than 2%.
This election season, Democrats have spent a lot of time in the state campaigning.