Mark Robinson Facing Pressure to Drop Out of NC Governor Race
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson Staying In NC Gubernatorial Race, Despite Pressure From Own Party
Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty
**UPDATE: Sept. 19, 2024, 8:30 PM
Lt. Governor Mark Robinson is staying in the race to become North Carolina’s next governor, despite pressure from other Republicans to suspend his campaign.
People familiar with the matter told WRAL about Robinson’s situation on Thursday (Sept. 19).
The pressure comes as CNN released a new report that stated that Robinson made several lewd and divisive comments on an adult website.
Before CNN publicized the report, Robinson posted a video on his social media, preemptively denying the allegations and announcing his intent to stay in the race.
“They want to focus on salacious tabloid lies. We’re not going to let them do that. We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it.”
Robinson’s Comments Unearthed By CNN
According to CNN, Robinson was a frequent visitor on the website “Nude Africa” between 2008 and 2012. There, he posted a series of racist comments. He referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” in one comment and, in another, said that he would’ve preferred Adolf Hitler as president rather than Barack Obama. In yet another comment, he wrote that “some people need to be slaves.”
Robinson has also made several sexually explicit comments on Nude Africa. Those comments include apparent admissions of being a “Peeping Tom” inside a women’s gym. “I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” he wrote, according to CNN.
Other comments that were highlighted included a statement detailing Robinson’s preference for transgender pornography. “I like watching [transgender]-on-girl porn!” Robinson wrote, using a slur for transgender people.
That comment, in particular, raised eyebrows as Robinson frequently used anti-trans rhetoric in many speeches in recent years.
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Robinson added in his video Thursday:
Let me reassure you that the things you see in that story are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words. You know my character.
Robinson has maintained strong support from loyal GOP voters, despite his long history of making incendiary comments about women, Jews, Muslims, the LGBTQ+ community, and others. However, the recent CNN report may have some Republicans second-guessing their chosen candidate.
Scott Lassiter, the former Republican Apex town councilman and current state Senate candidate, shared his thoughts with WRAL:
If the recent allegations against Robinson are true, combined with his previous public rhetoric, I believe it’s time for him to step aside … For the good of the state and our party, I believe he should suspend his campaign to allow a quality candidate to finish this race.
RELATED: MAGA Republican Mark Robinson’s Hateful History Of Spewing Conspiracy Rhetoric
Where Is This Race Going?
As it stands, the Trump-endorsed candidate is trailing behind his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, by a wide margin.
According to a recent WRAL News Poll released this month, 51% of likely voters support Stein. Meanwhile, only 37% support Robinson.
Political analysts and insiders say that Robinson’s lag in the polls could hurt Donald Trump’s chances of carrying North Carolina in the presidential race. In the same WRAL poll, Trump trails the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, by three points.
Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former chief of staff, spoke of the possibility in an Aug. 17 interview on News Nation:
Trump is being weighed down by a very unpopular Republican candidate for governor. So Trump is going to have some difficulty in this state, in North Carolina, that he may not have in others.
When asked about the pressure for Robinson to drop out of the race, Cooper said at a Raleigh event on Thursday morning, “Every day could be a reason for him to have dropped out of the race. He is the wrong choice for North Carolina.”
An additional statement was offered by Stein’s campaign following the CNN report, believing that Robinson is not fit for office:
“Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”
