North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson is facing intense scrutiny after two national media reports Thursday uncovered alleged comments on a porn forum and an account on a website known for extramarital affairs.
He’s vowing to stay in the race for the state’s top seat.
In a video posted to his social media accounts shortly before a CNN report of the allegations was published, Robinson issued a denial and vowed to stay the in race, despite facing pressure from some Republicans to withdraw before a key deadline Thursday night.
“Our opponents are desperate to shift the focus here from the substantive issues to salacious tabloid trash,” Robinson said. “We are staying in this race and we are in to win it.”
However, details of his actions were outlined by an Assembly investigative report, where according to six eyewitnesses, Robinson frequented Greensboro video-porn shops in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The recently released CNN report describes a series of racial and sexual comments Robinson posted on the message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago.
CNN reported that Robinson, who would be North Carolina’s first Black governor, attacked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a “black NAZI.”
CNN also reported that Robinson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14 along with an appreciation of transgender pornography. Robinson at one point referred to himself as a “perv.”
The CNN report also alleged that it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name.
Their report details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s age, length of marriage and other biographical information. It also compared figures of speech that came up frequently in his public Twitter profile that appeared in discussions by the account on the pornographic website.
Once a vocal supporter of Robinson, Donald Trump’s campaign appears to be distancing itself from Robinson in the wake of the report.
In a statement to the Associated Press (AP), Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the GOP nominee’s campaign “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country,” calling North Carolina “a vital part of that plan.”