Report: Mark Robinson allegedly calls himself ‘black NAZI,’ supports slavery in porn site comments

An explosive story from CNN alleges North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson made dozens of disturbing comments on a porn forum in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and expressed support for reinstating slavery.

According to CNN, Robinson said he liked watching transgender pornography and referred to himself as a “perv” in archived messages.

CNN also said Robinson went into detail while describing watching women in gym showers as a 14-year-old.

The news organization reports the comments were all made more than a decade ago, before Robinson entered into politics. They said they positively identified the username as Robinson’s using “a litany of biographical details and a shared email address between the two.”

SPECIAL SECTION: The Political Beat

Robinson, a Republican, is campaigning against Democrat Josh Stein, the North Carolina Attorney General, to be the state’s next governor. In a post on social media Thursday, Robinson denied what he called “salacious tabloid trash” and alleged it came from Stein’s campaign.

“Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he said in the video posted just before 3 p.m. “You know my words, you know my character.”

Robinson ended his video by saying he plans to stay in the race for North Carolina governor. But already, calls are growing for him to suspend his campaign.

Stein later said in a statement: “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be governor. Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”

Scott Lassiter, a Republican nominee for the North Carolina Senate, said Robinson needed to step down “to allow a quality candidate to finish this race.”

Stein’s campaign called Robinson “unfit to be governor.”

“North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be Governor,” their statement reads. “Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”

The first North Carolina ballots for the 2024 general election will be made available at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Late Thursday afternoon, Politico reported an email address that belongs to Robinson was found on Ashley Madison, a website for married people looking for affairs. It was one of Robinson’s advisors who confirmed the email belonged to him, Politico reports.

Officials with the North Caroling GOP released a statement on Thursday:

“Mark Robinson has categorically denied the allegations made by CNN but that won’t stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks. The Left needs this election to be a personality contest, not a policy contest because if voters are focused on policy, Republicans win on Election Day.

“Democrats have no answers on the record-setting inflation and the open-border policies that have both defined VP Harris’ tenure in the White House and have decimated family budgets across North Carolina.

“The Left can try to smear Mark Robinson all they want, but when voters go to the polls on Election Day, they are going to be asking one simple question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? The answer is overwhelmingly no and that’s why Republicans will win on November 5th.”

Former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory discusses Mark Robinson’s controversial comments

Former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory told Channel 9 Thursday night that Robinson was not vetted properly.

“I’m not surprised because there have been rumors and information swirling about him for years,” McCrory said.

Party leaders should have known this information would eventually come out, the former governor said.

“When you get to the governor level, you know the other side is going to do some serious vetting, believe me, I know,” McCrory said. “I’ve had private investigators looking into my background.”

Channel 9 caught up with Eric Heberlig, a political science professor at UNC Charlotte, by phone. The professor questions whether Robinson’s history was widely known.

“It would be surprising, to me, if this was relatively widely known in Republican circles that multiple candidates who are running for the Republican nomination against Robinson would not have used it in the primary when it could have made a difference,” Heberlig said.

If 1% to 3% of Republican voters decided to stay home because of Robinson’s issues it could sway, not only the race for president but several races on the ballot as well, Heberlig said.

Previous controversies

The allegations Thursday stand in stark contrast with comments Robinson has previously made about the LGBTQ-plus community.

Last year, Robinson delivered a sermon to members of a Mooresville church. He blasted churches that welcome LGBTQ-plus members in his remarks.

RELATED: Mark Robinson talks education and transportation funding with Channel 9

“Yes, I said it. Makes me sick every time I see it, when I pass a church that flies that rainbow flag, which is a direct spit in the face to God Almighty,” Robinson said at one point.

And in 2021, the Associated Press reported when the Human Rights Campaign, Democratic lawmakers, and the White House decried comments that he had made to another church congregation in Randolph County.

“There’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth,” Robinson told the Asbury Baptist Church congregation in Seagrove in June 2021.

Robinson recently sat down with Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz about several issues affecting North Carolinians that he could have the final say on if he’s elected as the next governor. On Friday, we told you about his stance on abortion. On Monday, we shared his views on education and transportation funding.

On Wednesday, Channel 9 learned there will be no debate for the North Carolina governor’s race for the first time since 1972. That’s despite both candidates expressing interest last week, according to The Assembly.

What if Robinson withdraws?

By law, if Robinson wanted to drop out of this race, he’d have until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to do so. But as previously noted, Mark Robinson said he is not dropping out.

If Robinson changes his mind, he only has a couple of hours to do so. Here’s what state law says.

The deadline for any statewide candidate, which includes a candidate for governor, to withdraw is “prior to the first day on which military and overseas absentee ballots are transmitted to voters.” That means to withdraw, Robinson would have to notify the State Board of Elections by 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The North Carolina Republican Party would then have the opportunity to select a replacement candidate.

The Board would have to determine whether it’s feasible to print new ballots with the new nominee’s name, but odds are that wouldn’t happen unless a court forced the state to do so.

The most likely scenario is that Robinson’s name would remain on the ballot and votes cast for him would count for the replacement nominee.

Ballots are going out Friday at 12:01 a.m. to military and overseas voters.

Below, the North Carolina State Board of Elections shared a statement about what would happen if Robinson withdrew:

“The deadline for any statewide candidate, which includes a candidate for governor, to withdraw is “prior to the first day on which military and overseas absentee ballots [UOCAVA ballots] are transmitted to voters.” See G.S. § 163-113. North Carolina will begin transmitting these UOCAVA ballots on Friday, September 20.

“To withdraw, the candidate must submit a written request to the North Carolina State Board of Elections that is received by 11:59 p.m. tonight. If a written request is received, the State executive committee of the applicable party has the option to select a replacement nominee. See G.S. § 163-114.

“If the party selects a replacement and certifies that name to the State Board, and ballots have been printed, then it would need to be determined whether it is practical to reprint the ballots with the replacement nominee’s name. See G.S. § 163-165.3(c). Although, as provided in an administrative rule, “After the official ballots for a general or special election have been printed and the absentee voting period has begun, the . . . resignation . . . of a candidate whose name appears on the official ballots shall not require that the ballots be reprinted.” See 08 NCAC 06b .0104.

“Absentee ballots for all 100 counties have been printed so that they can be mailed to UOCAVA voters on Friday and civilian voters on Tuesday, and counties have begun receiving their orders of printed ballots for early voting and Election Day. When ballots cannot be reprinted, a vote cast for the candidate whose name is printed on the ballot is required to be counted as a vote for the replacement nominee selected. See G.S. § 163-165.3(c) and 08 NCAC 06b .0104.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: As mail ballots prepare to go out, leading NC Gov candidates visit area)