Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican candidate for governor, remains in the race as of Friday morning after a deadline passed for him to withdraw or be removed from the ballot. Robinson is facing growing calls to step down following a CNN report that revealed offensive and sexually explicit comments he allegedly made on a pornography website between 2008 and 2012.
The CNN report, published on Thursday, claimed that Robinson posted derogatory and controversial remarks on the site Nude Africa, including calling himself a “black Nazi” and expressing a preference for Adolf Hitler over then-President Barack Obama. He also reportedly advocated for the return of slavery, writing in one post that "slavery is not bad" and that he would "buy a few" if it were reinstated.
Pressure for Robinson to exit the race has come from both North Carolina Republicans and former President Donald Trump’s election campaign, according to the Carolina Journal. Trump, who had previously endorsed Robinson, even likened him to a more powerful version of Martin Luther King Jr. at a campaign rally earlier this year.
In response to the scandal, the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris shared past instances of Trump praising Robinson, calling him a friend and "one of the hottest politicians in the United States." They also circulated photos of the two together with the caption "best friends."
Despite the backlash, Robinson has denied the accusations, stating his intention to continue his campaign for governor. It remains unclear whether Robinson will attend Trump’s rally scheduled for Saturday in North Carolina.
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