Robinson Denial

Impossible’: Harris Campaign Slams Trump’s Robinson Denial

Story by Zachary Folk

Former President Donald Trump did not answer whether or not he would rescind his endorsement of Mark Robinson, the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate who has been embroiled in a scandal after a CNN report detailed a history of controversial comments on pornography forums from accounts linked to him.

Speaking Thursday to reporters at a press conference in Trump Tower, the former president addressed a wide range of topics, including the migrant crisis, the war in Ukraine, and even touched on the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He notably did not mention the North Carolina gubernatorial candidate, who earned the coveted Trump endorsement in March.

As he left the podium, a reporter asked if he was planning to pull his endorsement of the lieutenant governor. Trump responded “I don’t know the situation” before quickly walking away and taking another reporter’s question.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.

The CNN report unearthed a lengthy backlog of explicit comments from accounts linked to the lieutenant governor, including one where the poster identified themselves as a “black NAZI!”

Robinson has vehemently denied the reporting, calling the comments “salacious tabloid lies.” In the days since the report was released, Robinson has seen both campaign staff and office staff resign.

The Harris campaign, who are eager to tie the former president to the besieged lieutenant governor in an important swing state, quickly responded to the remark. “It’s impossible to believe that, somehow, Donald Trump missed the news about his handpicked candidate for governor calling himself a ‘Nazi,’” Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement sent to the Daily Beast.

“Trump has been to North Carolina twice since the news broke and is still standing by Robinson, even as the people who know Robinson best are abandoning him,” Moussa said.

Although Robinson has appeared at Trump rallies in the past, he did not show up at the Republican nominee’s rallies on September 20 in Wilmington and on Wednesday in Mint Hill.

Robinson has attended Trump events in the past—as recently as August 21, he attended a speech the former president gave in Asheboro, North Carolina, and even received a shout-out from the podium. “Mark Robinson, he's out there. He's fighting. He's fighting. He's a great one,” according to a transcript of the event published by Roll Call.