North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson announced on Tuesday that his campaign has enlisted a law firm to investigate a CNN report alleging that he made explicit racial and sexual comments on a pornography website’s message board. Robinson refers to the allegations as “false smears” and is seeking to understand their origin.
This announcement comes amid growing concerns within the North Carolina Republican Party. Many members have suggested that if Robinson cannot swiftly and formally refute the allegations, the party should direct its efforts toward more competitive races within the state. Some Republicans have already distanced themselves from Robinson, the current lieutenant governor, with the Republican Governors Association announcing on Monday that it would withdraw its support. The organization’s financial backing had significantly benefited Robinson’s campaign, which is now facing a challenging race against Democratic nominee Josh Stein, who currently leads in the polls. Additionally, many of Robinson’s top campaign staffers have also resigned following the report.
Party officials worry that Robinson’s predicament could negatively affect Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and inadvertently boost Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in this crucial state, potentially jeopardizing other important races on the ballot.
Hal Weatherman, who is vying to succeed Robinson as lieutenant governor, emphasized the need for Robinson to quickly and conclusively dispel the allegations against him. He stated on social media that if Robinson can prove the claims are fabricated, he would likely secure a landslide victory. Conversely, failing to do so could lead to a significant loss, as the attributed comments are highly troubling.
Robinson, who enjoys strong support from the conservative base of the state GOP and has the potential to become the first Black governor of North Carolina if elected, has refuted claims of posting the messages over a decade ago, prior to his political career. He expressed confidence that the Binnall Law Group, based in northern Virginia and known for representing Trump in legal matters, would thoroughly investigate and hold CNN accountable for what he calls lies.
CNN’s report highlighted posts allegedly made by Robinson in which he referred to himself using offensive terms, expressed admiration for transgender pornography, and made derogatory comments about historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson has a history of controversial statements regarding sensitive topics, which have been used against him by Stein and his supporters.
CNN stated that it corroborated details linking Robinson to the account through matching usernames, email addresses, and personal information. At a campaign event, Robinson vowed to aggressively confront CNN but has yet to provide evidence countering the report.
Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who endorsed a rival candidate in the gubernatorial primaries and has raised concerns about Robinson’s qualifications, suggested on Tuesday that Robinson should provide evidence by the end of the week to support his claims or the party should consider moving on.
Although Robinson was endorsed by Trump before the primaries and has participated in Trump’s rallies, he was notably absent from a Trump event in Wilmington last weekend, where he was not mentioned by the former president. Trump is scheduled to hold another rally in North Carolina on Wednesday.
The Republican Governors Association indicated that no further advertisements would be placed in Robinson’s race following Tuesday’s developments. According to campaign spending data, the RGA and a related political action committee have spent at least $15.9 million on advertising in the North Carolina gubernatorial race, while Stein’s campaign and its affiliates have significantly outspent Robinson thus far. The deadline for any candidate in North Carolina to withdraw from the gubernatorial race was September 19.