Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, vowed Thursday to remain in the race following a report that he made dozens of lewd and inflammatory comments more than 10 years ago on the message board of a pornography website.
The report, published by CNN, said Robinson, in posts to a pornographic website called Nude Africa, called himself a “black NAZI,” expressed support for bringing back slavery, said he enjoyed watching transgender pornography and recounted sexually graphic stories, including one about his memory of “peeping” on women in gym showers when he was 14. The posts were made under the username “minisoldr” from 2008 to 2012, CNN reported, before Robinson, who was elected lieutenant governor in 2020, entered politics.
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In a video posted to X ahead of the story’s publication, Robinson denied the report, calling it “tabloid trash.”
“Let me reassure you: The things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before,” Robinson said in the video.
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“We are staying in this race, we are in it to win it, and we know that, with your help, we will,” he added.
The report was the latest blow to Republicans in the critical battleground state race, in which Robinson, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, has struggled against Democratic candidate Josh Stein. North Carolina has also taken on increased importance in the presidential race following Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket.
Robinson spokesperson Michael Lonergan said in an email after the report was published that what "the Democrats say about Mark Robinson is either an outright lie or twisted so far out of context it might as well be."
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"The people of North Carolina have had enough lies from career politicians like Josh Stein — and that’s why they’ll elect Mark Robinson governor on November 5," he added.
Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country.”
“North Carolina is an vital part of that plan. 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,” Leavitt said. The statement did not mention Robinson.
Another Trump campaign adviser denied reports that the campaign had pushed Robinson to leave the race.
“That’s absolutely inaccurate,” Brian Hughes, a senior Trump campaign adviser, said when asked about the reports. “Fake news. Didn’t happen. Trump and the Trump campaign have had no pushing or anything else. Inaccurate.”
Some Republican lawmakers expressed concern over Robinson's reported comments.
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., called Robinson's comments in the CNN report "disgusting," but added that, "Mark Robinson says they are not from him."
"He needs to prove that to the voters," Budd said in a statement.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Trump ally, told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday that she hadn’t read the whole story about Robinson but that “if that all turns out to be true, that would be certainly something that I definitely couldn’t support.”
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said the allegations were "very concerning" but did not say whether Robinson should drop out.
"My hope is that the lieutenant governor can reassure the people of North Carolina that the allegations aren’t true,” Hudson said.
Asked whether he felt Robinson should exit the race, Hudson replied, "He needs to have the opportunity to explain to the people of North Carolina exactly how these allegations aren’t true."
Meanwhile, Democrats quickly criticized Robinson as unfit to serve as governor. Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., told reporters that "what I just read made me sick to my stomach."
"If he drops out of the race, it helps the state of North Carolina," added Jackson, who is running for state attorney general.
In a statement, Izzi Levy, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association, called the CNN report the “latest proof that Mark Robinson is unhinged, dangerous, and completely unfit to be governor.”
She added, “Now, as many Republicans warn against the damage Robinson would do as governor, it’s clear that the stakes have never been higher and we must keep our foot on the gas to defeat him in November.”
A spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Harris campaign sought to tie Trump to Robinson, who spoke at this summer’s Republican National Convention and has benefitted from the former president's backing.
"Donald Trump and Mark Robinson have been all over the trail together this cycle. Trump elevated and endorsed this man at every opportunity," Harris spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said on X. "There’s no running away from this for @realDonaldTrump."
If Robinson were to drop out of the race, he would have to make that decision Thursday, and he would have to notify the state board of elections in writing by 11:59 p.m. According to the state’s election laws, any major-party nominee who wishes to drop out of a race must do so “prior to the first day on which military and overseas absentee ballots are transmitted to voters.”
Military and overseas absentee ballots are scheduled to be sent out from the North Carolina Board of Elections on Friday.
Under state law, if Robinson were to end his campaign, the state executive committee of the North Carolina GOP would name his replacement. But it’s unlikely that the state has enough time to print new ballots with someone else’s name. In that case, state law says, “a vote for a candidate who has been replaced in accordance … will count for the replacement candidate.”
The CNN report included dozens of lewd comments it said were from Robinson.
Among them were a story in which the writer admitted to “peeping” on women in public gym showers when he was a teenager.
Robinson, who has advocated for anti-trans policies and has made comments critical of trans people, also expressed fondness for transgender pornography in posts to Nude Africa, CNN reported.
“I like watching tranny on girl porn! That’s f---ing hot! It takes the man out while leaving the man in!” Robinson wrote, according to CNN. “And yeah I’m a ‘perv’ too!”
The report was the latest in a series of controversial remarks over the years that have brought negative attention to Robinson's campaign for governor.
Many of those comments have focused on abortion. During a Facebook Live stream in 2019, he said the procedure “is not about protecting the lives of mothers. ... It is about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”
Robinson also called abortion “murder” and “genocide” on his personal Facebook page in 2018.
Stein’s campaign has seized on the comments, running campaign ads highlighting Robinson’s rhetoric about abortion and saying he would move to further restrict the procedure if he were elected.
Robinson said at a campaign event in February that he’d work to eventually abolish abortion rights in the state if he were elected governor.
In addition, NBC News obtained an audio recording from this month in which Robinson said he wants to get abortion restrictions down to “zero” weeks.
North Carolina currently has a 12-week abortion ban.
In February, he suggested during a campaign event that transgender women should be arrested if they use women’s restrooms, adding that people who “are confused” about their gender should “find a corner outside somewhere to go” to the bathroom. Robinson has also described the LGBTQ community as “filth.”
In addition, opponents point out that Robinson has referred to public school teachers as “wicked people.” In 2022, he said he owned assault rifles so he’d be prepared if “the government got too big for its britches.”
Stein has led Robinson in all public polls. A Quinnipiac University poll of the race this month showed Stein 51% to 41% — outside the survey’s margin of error.
Some Democrats have suggested that Robinson’s vulnerabilities make him a drag on the top of the ticket for Republicans and have looked to exploit that in both the governor's and presidential races.
Trump has praised him on the campaign trail, including recently at an rally last month in Asheboro, North Carolina.
“Good luck. Mark’s got to win. He’s got to win. Got to win. He’s a good man,” Trump added.
And in March, in a speech at the National Rifle Association conference, Trump called Robinson “Dr. Martin Luther King on steroids.”
“That’s how good you are. You are unbelievable as a speaker,” Trump said of Robinson. “And he got up and he’s doing fantastically well in North Carolina. And I think he’s going to be the next governor of North Carolina.”
Ben Kamisar, Syedah Asghar, Jake Traylor and Allan Smith contributed.
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