Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is under pressure from members of his own party to drop out of the state’s gubernatorial race following a CNN report alleging he made lewd and divisive comments on a pornographic website.
Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is under pressure from members of his own party to drop out of the state’s gubernatorial race, people familiar with the matter told WRAL on Thursday, following a CNN report that said he made lewd and divisive comments on a pornographic website.
CNN reported that Robinson posted frequently on the website “Nude Africa” between 2008 and 2012 about a variety of topics. He referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” in one comment and, in another, remarked that he’d have preferred Adolf Hitler as president rather than Barack Obama. In another comment on the website, he wrote that “some people need to be slaves,” according to CNN.
Prior to CNN’s publication of the report, Robinson posted a video on social media in which he preemptively denied the allegations. He said he plans to remain in the race against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein, the state’s sitting attorney general.
«They want to focus on salacious tabloid lies», he said. «We’re not going to let them do that. We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it.»
A spokesperson for CNN didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Robinson also made a number of sexually explicit comments on the website, CNN reported, including apparent admissions of “peeping” in a women’s gym. “I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” Robinson wrote, according to CNN. The network also highlighted statements from Robinson in which he says he prefers transgender pornography.
“I like watching [transgender]-on-girl porn!” Robinson wrote, using a slur for transgender people, according to CNN.
As a public official, Robinson has made opposition to transgender rights a key focus of many speeches in recent years.
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.»
While Robinson has a history of divisive statements, the comments unearthed by CNN seemed to go beyond what he’s said in the past, some Republicans said.
“If the recent allegations against Robinson are true, combined with his previous public rhetoric, I believe it’s time for him to step aside,” Scott Lassiter, a Republican former Apex town councilman and current state Senate candidate, told WRAL.
Lassiter said he would favor a new candidate — even though the election is just weeks away. “North Carolinians deserve a viable choice in this election,” he said. “… 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.”
The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement late Thursday underscoring Robinson’s denial of the allegations made in the CNN report. “But that won’t stop the left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks,” the statement said. “The left needs this election to be a personality contest, not a policy contest, because if voters are focused on policy, Republicans win on Election Day.
