Democrats quickly worked to link former President Donald Trump to North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson after comments he allegedly made on a pornographic website’s message board a decade ago surfaced on Thursday.
The CNN report detailing allegations that Robinson had called himself a “black NAZI!” in 2010 on “Nude Africa,” a pornographic website that includes a message board. There were also allegations that Robinson called Martin Luther King Jr. “Martin Lucifer K**n” and supported the reinstatement of slavery, as well as other sexually graphic comments.
Robinson denied the posts were from him and said in a video statement released prior to the report’s release that he is staying in the race even as there was growing speculation that he would drop out.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign posted a compilation on social media of Trump praising Robinson immediately after the report came out, including a clip in which Trump called Robinson “better” than King.
Trump: Mark Robinson is Martin Luther King on steroids. He is better than Martin Luther King pic.twitter.com/GFPWV0zhXx
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 19, 2024
Additionally, Harris spokesman Ammar Moussa posted a photo of Trump with Robinson along with the words “Just a picture of Donald Trump and Mark Robinson — for no particular reason.”
Just a picture of Donald Trump and Mark Robinson – for no particular reason. pic.twitter.com/xhVi1aJE2x
— Ammar Moussa (@ammarmufasa) September 19, 2024
Shortly after the report came out, David Plouffe, a senior adviser to Harris’s campaign who also managed former President Barack Obama’s first presidential bid, posted on X, “16 key electoral votes,” alluding to a Harris win in the critical battleground state.
In the wake of the new report, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics shifted the North Carolina gubernatorial race from “lean Democrat” to “likely Democrat.”
The Crystal Ball team has just met in emergency session, and in the fastest rating change in our history, we are moving NC GOVERNOR from Lean D to LIKELY D. https://t.co/fzQhXMSRbS
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 19, 2024
However, some political experts attempted to tamp down expectations that the scandal could have implications for the presidential race in North Carolina. Prognosticator Nate Silver wrote on X, “Probably a stretch to expect any ‘reverse coattails’. But you also have to imagine that Harris will be running ads of Trump endorsing Mark Robinson in heavy rotation.”
Probably a stretch to expect any "reverse coattails". But you also have to imagine that Harris will be running ads of Trump endorsing Mark Robinson in heavy rotation.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) September 19, 2024
Several North Carolina lawmakers reacted to the news as they left Capitol Hill for the week.
“I don’t have any facts yet. The allegations are concerning, but we don’t have any facts,” said Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), answering a question about whether Robinson should drop out of the race.
“Not good,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in response to the report, according to reporting from the Huffington Post.
Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) said Robinson wasn’t “fit to lead” the state even before the news broke.
“Every week we are learning more and more about Mark Robinson’s racist, sexist, antisemitic, and homophobic beliefs,” Ross said in a post on X. “He wasn’t fit to be governor before this story, and it’s even more clear today that he isn’t fit to lead our state.”
The language in the CNN report about Robinson could pose new challenges for Trump as he appears at campaign events Thursday regarding “fighting anti-semitism in America.” The former president will visit North Carolina on Saturday, speaking at a rally in Wilmington about inflation. Trump has invited Robinson to campaign events in the state in the past.
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While some have called on Robinson to drop out of the race, ballots are scheduled to begin being mailed out to military and overseas voters on Friday. Robinson has insisted he’s staying put.
“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 a video message, comparing himself to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “Folks, this race, right now, our opponents are desperate to shift the focus here from substantive issues … to salacious tabloid trash.”
Christian Datoc and Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
