Controversy surrounding the Republican nominee in North Carolina's gubernatorial battle is injecting fresh uncertainty into the presidential race.
GOP nominee Mark Robinson, the state's current lieutenant governor and a close ally of former President Trump, won't be feted alongside the Republican presidential nominee during a rally this weekend.
That follows a bombshell CNN report this week about inflammatory remarks Robinson allegedly posted on a pornographic website more than a decade ago that have caused uproar in the state and nationally.
A source confirmed to The Hill that Robinson will not be attending Trump's Wilmington, N.C., rally Saturday. Trump has previously endorsed Robinson's campaign for governor, but the gubernatorial candidate trails his Democratic rival Josh Stein in the polls.
CNN uncovered posts linked to Robinson on a pornographic website that expressed support for slavery, referred to himself as a "Black Nazi" and included other incendiary statements about transgender people.
Robinson has denied any association with the posts and said he's staying in the governor's race. Thursday was the deadline for the candidate to withdraw from the race and allow another Republican to take his place on the ballot.
"Let me assure you, the things you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson," he said in a video posted online Thursday. "You know my words. You know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before."
"We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it," he added.
The North Carolina GOP has stuck by the candidate, expressing support for Robinson on social media, but some Republicans in the state's congressional delegation have distanced themselves.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign issued a statement that did not mention Robinson but stressed that North Carolina remains a "vital part" of the strategy to win in November.
"We are confident that as voters compare the Trump record of a strong economy, low inflation, a secure border, and safe streets, with the failures of Biden-Harris, then President Trump will win the Tar Heel State once again. We will not take our eye off the ball," national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Trump won North Carolina in 2016 and 2020, but the Tar Heel State is currently rated a toss-up state among forecasters, and Democrats have eyed it as an opportunity for a flip.
According to The Hill / Decision Desk HQ's analysis of data from North Carolina, Harris and Trump have been polling neck-and-neck in the state.
The Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee have released separate ads highlighting Trump's close ties with Robinson.
FROM THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN:
- A 30-second spot, entitled "Both Wrong," includes clips from Trump talking about Robinson, calling him "better" than Martin Luther King Jr., "outstanding" and saying "he's been an unbelievable lieutenant governor."
- "Donald Trump and Mark Robinson, they're both wrong for North Carolina," the ad concludes.
FROM THE DNC:
- The ads feature Trump's past remarks about the gubernatorial candidate, including saying "we have to cherish" Robinson and calling him an "outstanding person" and "incredible gentleman."
- "Trump's bold embrace of Robinson isn't anything new — he endorsed Robinson's campaign ahead of the North Carolina Republican primary back in March," the DNC said in a release. "Why? They are two peas in a pod."
The Trump campaign hasn't responded to the Democrats' campaign ads.
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