Former President Donald Trump is standing by his endorsement of Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor, despite Robinson being embroiled in a major scandal.
Trump addressed the situation during a press conference in New York City, according to The Hill. When asked by a reporter about the controversy surrounding Robinson, Trump responded, “I don’t know the situation.”
The scandal was first reported by CNN, which revealed that Robinson, the socially conservative Republican nominee for governor, had made a series of inflammatory remarks over a decade ago on a pornography website’s message board. According to a CNN KFile investigation, Robinson referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and voiced support for reinstating slavery.
Robinson has denied the claims, asserting that he will continue his campaign and is considering legal action against CNN. He stated, “We are in talks right now. Everything up to legal counsel to take CNN to task for what they have done to us. We are going after them for what they’ve done.”
Despite Robinson’s pushback, his campaign has suffered several setbacks, including the loss of key personnel and supporters. However, Trump has so far refused to withdraw his endorsement, which he announced in March. During a rally in Greensboro, Trump compared Robinson to civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids” and adding, “I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.”
Although there have been increasing calls for Trump to reconsider his support for Robinson, he has yet to do so, citing unfamiliarity with the details of the scandal. Nevertheless, The Hill noted that Robinson was absent from Trump’s recent North Carolina rally, despite having attended one the previous month, indicating some possible distancing between the two.
