‘We are staying in this race’: behind the unraveling of Mark Robinson’s campaign in North Carolina

Mark Robinson, the enthusiastic Republican contender for governor of North Carolina, was already working to distance himself from controversies stemming from his own statements well before CNN bombarded him with negative coverage on Thursday afternoon.

Robinson has embraced the backlash against his growing list of racist, sexist, homophobic, and antisemitic remarks as a mark of pride throughout his campaign and while serving as the state's lieutenant governor. However, a CNN investigation has revealed his explicit online history, bringing to light comments that continue to astonish.

CNN's report links Robinson's personal information, including his name, email, and background, to the online identity "minisoldr." In this persona, Robinson referred to himself as a "Black NAZI," made positive remarks about Hitler, used derogatory language regarding Martin Luther King Jr., expressed a sexual interest in transgender adult content, and recounted an incident from when he was 14 about spying on girls in a public shower.

Robinson allegedly stated, "Slavery isn't a negative thing. Some individuals are meant to be enslaved. I hope they reintroduce it. I would definitely purchase a few."

CNN chose not to reveal all of its findings, stating that some of the information was too unsettling to share publicly.

Just before the report was released, Robinson stated that he intended to continue competing. If he didn't withdraw by midnight, he wouldn't be able to back out anymore, as the deadline in North Carolina would have already passed.

Understanding the efforts by the left to oust Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas due to his controversial gifts from wealthy individuals, it's typical of Robinson to compare his predicament to the "high-tech lynching" that Thomas faced 33 years ago concerning accusations of sexual misconduct involving Anita Hill. “We’re not going to allow that to happen to us. We are committed to this race. We're here to win,” Robinson stated.

However, the flamboyant candidate was already experiencing a significant setback, as a combination of previously revealed comments and disappointing poll numbers caused the national Republican party, along with Donald Trump, to withdraw their support.

Robinson's noticeable fascination with transgender adult films sharply contrasts his vocal stance against transgender rights. In 2021, demands for his resignation gained momentum after he made remarks labeling education that includes transgender topics as “child abuse,” referring to LGBTQ+ material as “filth,” and proposing that transgender individuals should face arrest for using restrooms that don't match their assigned sex at birth.

Robinson's rival, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, has primarily relied on widely promoting campaign advertisements across television and social media. These ads highlight Robinson's own statements, while Stein focuses on delivering an optimistic message about the state and his own political agenda, as well as reinforcing his commitment to reproductive rights.

Speaking at a rally in Greensboro for Kamala Harris, Stein declared, “If I'm elected as your next governor, I will reject any additional limitations on reproductive rights.”

Robinson's stance on abortion is a key part of his message to conservative voters and may be a major factor in the electoral struggles facing Republicans in North Carolina. His commitment to pro-life policies has been not only outspoken but also confrontational and sharp in tone.

In a recently discovered clip from a church sermon in 2022, he criticizes women's rights and contraceptive methods. He stated, “Why not channel that mental strength and sense of empowerment into addressing the situation down here?” while gesturing towards his lower body. “It's time to take charge of this.”

Robinson has openly acknowledged that he paid for an abortion for his girlfriend, who is now his wife, back in the 1980s—a choice he admits he regrets. Despite this personal history, his strong anti-abortion stance has solidified his support from North Carolina's religious conservative community.

Lorra Parker resides in McDowell County, where Republicans have a strong lead, with three members for every one Democrat. She attended a speech by Robinson last week. While she holds a wide range of conservative views, she considers abortion policy a key aspect of her identity as a voter. Although Trump seemed uncertain on this topic during the debate, she believes he doesn’t have to be flawless—he just needs to be an improvement over the alternatives.

She uses the same reasoning when it comes to Robinson. At this point, she’s holding off on forming an opinion until the information gets clarified, she mentioned.

"To be honest, I’d want to get information from a different source besides CNN," she remarked. "If he’s innocent, he should make an effort to clear his name. He has the opportunity to do that. However, considering he’s been lieutenant governor for four years and this issue has only come to light now? That raises some red flags for me."

Robinson’s public events and social media updates provide a wealth of information for Democrats looking to characterize their rivals as radical.

One advertisement states unmistakably, “The decision is obvious. Donald Trump and Mark Robinson promote a vision filled with division, violence, and hatred. Mark Robinson is solely focused on waging culture wars that harm job growth... Just recently, in an all places, from a church pulpit, he proclaimed, ‘some people need to be killed.’”

After securing the Republican primary earlier this year, Robinson went into hiding, shielding himself from all sides. He turned down interview requests from everyone except the most conservative media outlets and largely steered clear of public events.

However, the approach of leveraging Trump's popularity and relying on the state's largely conservative nature was crumbling under the weight of increasing negative coverage. Reports concerning his campaign funding, the mismanagement of his wife's government-funded charity, and his consistently provocative statements were overwhelming the situation.

Robinson hasn't been ahead in any surveys since June. Even before CNN shared its findings, Joe Biden's exit from the race in July was likely to shift what was a close competition into a landslide. The most recent Emerson College poll indicates that he's trailing Stein by eight points.

A few weeks back, Robinson made a comeback. He began by cautiously engaging in smaller venues, away from the watchful eyes of major news reporters, to experiment with messages that were impactful but still palatable: using bold language without going overboard.

On September 11, the day after the Harris-Trump debate, Robinson entered the back room of Countryside Barbecue in vibrant red Marion, North Carolina. He was seeking a welcoming environment and trying to reshape his message as much as he could despite the pressure.

In his speech, he focused on topics like fuel costs, educators' pay, and state tax concerns—more traditional policy matters, rather than the divisive issues surrounding abortion, firearms, and LGBTQ+ rights that had initially propelled his career and secured him the nomination.

However, repeatedly, he found himself focused on how the media and his Democratic rival had been criticizing him.

“There's this guy named Josh Stein who seems more interested in discussing anything but the facts,” Robinson mentioned. “He dug up something I posted on Facebook around eight or nine years ago, but only used a brief clip, leaving out the full context. It was a comment about ‘keeping your skirt down.’”

Robinson was talking about the extensive advertisements that were running throughout the state, featuring a Facebook video from 2009 where he states that abortion is fundamentally about ending a life due to a lack of responsibility in managing one's actions.

Robinson told the conservative audience last week that his opponent had edited out the part where he mentioned, "or keep your pants up," and they seemed to find that persuasive. He went on to claim that that advertisement and others were misleading and labeled his opponent as dishonest. He challenged the media to cover this issue and insisted on having a debate, which Stein has been avoiding.

Beneath the newly applied veneer of respectability, remnants of the Robinson bravado could still be seen.

He devoted nearly as much time criticizing the president and vice-president in the mountain communities of western North Carolina as he did focusing on his real rival.

Robinson commented on Harris, saying, “She was right there next to [Biden] while he was making decisions, and last night she was on TV promising to solve everything. She criticized the issues, but she hasn’t provided any real solutions. What initiatives has she supported during her time in office that would actually address the challenges we’re currently dealing with?”

Robinson has shifted his stance on his earlier, strong demand for a complete ban on abortion in North Carolina. Earlier this year, he supported a six-week "heartbeat" law that would restrict abortion access. Just a few days ago, he suggested that it's time for the public to "move on" from the topic of abortion.

In a crowded room of church-attending Republicans in Marion, he expressed, “People might have various viewpoints on that.”

Here’s how I see it: Regardless of the current status of the law, as the governor of this state, I’m committed to protecting every single life in the womb. Whether it’s at 12 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, or 20 weeks, we will advocate for life in this state.

In a nod to Trump and his vice presidential candidate, JD Vance—who is also the Ohio senator and author of *Hillbilly Elegy*—a few members of Robinson's campaign team sported shirts that read "Felon / Hillbilly."

The shirts embody the spirit of Robinson's campaign. He has linked himself, for better or worse, to Trump’s style and political approach. However, even those on Trump’s team have reached their limit.

As reported by the conservative Carolina Journal, the Trump campaign has been urging Robinson to step aside due to concerns that North Carolina's crucial swing voters might completely turn away from the lieutenant governor and the entire Republican ticket.

According to confidential sources from the campaign, the Carolina Journal stated that the Stein campaign shared information with CNN. Additionally, the Trump campaign informed Robinson that he was not permitted to attend Trump or Vance's rallies anymore. Trump has not referred to Robinson in the past week. Vance conducted his first independent rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, and Robinson was absent. His office stated that he tested positive for Covid-19.

Officials from Trump’s campaign stated in an interview with NBC that they did not attempt to persuade Robinson to withdraw from the competition.

The Stein campaign issued a brief statement soon after the CNN segment was broadcast.

“People in North Carolina are well aware that Mark Robinson is not suitable to serve as Governor,” the campaign remarked. “Josh is committed to winning this election so we can work together to create a safer, more resilient North Carolina for all.”

The Harris campaign, on the other hand, has eagerly shared videos featuring Trump expressing admiration for Robinson. Trump called Robinson "Martin Luther King Jr. on steroids."

In a comment made under his “minisoldr” username, Robinson stated, “I'm not associated with the KKK because they don’t permit Black individuals to join. If I were a member of the KKK, I would have referred to him as Martin Lucifer Koon!”