Trump supported Robinson in North Carolina. Now, the controversy-ridden Republican might be a liability.
The former president continues to stand by his endorsement of the troubled governor.
TroibNews 
Republicans in North Carolina are facing mounting challenges as they accept that winning the governor's race may be beyond reach, particularly given the blemished reputation of their candidate, Mark Robinson. This developing scandal is compounding the efforts of presidential candidates vying for success in this crucial southern swing state, where Donald Trump plans to campaign on Saturday.
Robinson's situation is far from beneficial for the GOP.
Notable GOP figures in North Carolina have condemned Robinson's previous online posts on an adult forum and appear to concede that flipping the governor’s mansion is unlikely. However, Trump and his team have refrained from addressing the issue, as the former president tries to quietly distance himself from a candidate he has previously endorsed and celebrated on various platforms.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign wasted no time in releasing an advertisement tying Trump to Robinson, with the intention of amplifying this message in the weeks ahead.
With North Carolina being critical for Trump's prospects, and polling indicating a near tie between him and Harris, both campaigns view any potential advantage as significant, regardless of its scale.
“Anything that affects a couple thousand votes could be a huge deal. You’re talking to someone who lost by 10,000 votes out of 4.6 million,” remarked former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who narrowly lost his reelection bid in 2016 while Trump won the state.
McCrory also pointed out that North Carolinians have a history of voting across party lines, as evidenced by Democrats winning the governor's office in the last two presidential elections despite Trump’s victories in the state. His campaign is banking on this trend continuing, especially since he is currently engaged in a tightly-contested race with Harris in a state where he enjoyed only a 1.5-point victory in 2020.
Prior to the latest developments regarding Robinson, Trump had hailed him as a significant figure within conservative politics, referring to him as a “friend” and “one of the hottest politicians in the United States of America.” Robinson was given speaking opportunities during the Republican convention in Milwaukee and at Trump rallies. The former president has not withdrawn his endorsement.
“This is partially a problem of his making. Trump did not need to endorse,” said Doug Heye, a former spokesperson for the Republican National Committee from North Carolina. “He chose to.”
“If this is why he loses,” Heye continued, “it’s sort of like Kramer wearing the very pants he's trying to return.”
Despite private acknowledgment among Republican operatives that there may no longer be a viable fight on behalf of Robinson, many believe that Trump can still secure a victory in the state. They argue that Robinson’s issues are likely to impact state legislative races more than they will influence presidential decisions.
“Reverse coattails are a fiction dreamed up by Clinton and Biden staffers looking to blame someone other than themselves for losing North Carolina in ‘16 and ‘20,” commented Jonathan Felts, a Republican consultant in the state who believes Trump “remains in a strong position to win” due to the resonance of his economic message with a broad spectrum of voters, particularly in rural areas. “Harris is scared of rural North Carolina because she has no good answers on inflation, gas prices, and the disaster that is the Southern border on her watch. And that’s why Trump wins again.”
Robinson is not expected to appear with Trump at a Wilmington rally this Saturday. However, the Democrats are likely to ensure that he remains a topic of discussion. On Thursday, the Harris campaign launched an advertisement associating Trump with Robinson, focusing on Robinson's controversial comments about abortion, such as his assertion that women obtain abortions “because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.” The ad also included clips of Trump praising Robinson.
The Harris campaign believes that the anti-abortion messaging from Robinson is more detrimental than his recent scandals, which have garnered extensive media attention. According to a source familiar with the campaign's strategy, there are concerns that further media coverage could exacerbate Robinson's vulnerabilities.
Trump and Robinson's campaigns declined to provide comments on the situation.
Even prior to Thursday's CNN report, Robinson had been the subject of various unflattering stories regarding his comments about women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and minority groups. He gained support from GOP officials during the primary, surpassing more traditional Republicans despite personal controversies.
Robinson had quickly garnered popularity among the GOP electorate after a viral video of him advocating for gun rights during a Greensboro City Council meeting in 2018. Efforts to challenge his candidacy during the primary fell flat. Although state Republican leaders claimed to have limited knowledge of Robinson's vulnerabilities, including his problematic online history, they were aware that potentially damaging information could emerge, according to multiple sources involved in local Republican politics.
“Everyone who wanted to know knew,” McCrory stated regarding the public availability of compromising information about Robinson. “It was a ticking time bomb, and the fuse has been burning for a long time.”
As new details continue to surface about Robinson, national Republicans are increasingly concerned about the implications for the presidential race.
“The only people voting for Mark Robinson are the Republican-or-die folks,” said Oscar Brock, RNC national committeeman from Tennessee. “He’s going to get creamed. He will be drawing no additional voters to the ballot.
“Between the enthusiasm growing for Harris and dampened Republican enthusiasm because of Mark Robinson, this could have an effect.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Robinson's situation is far from beneficial for the GOP.
Notable GOP figures in North Carolina have condemned Robinson's previous online posts on an adult forum and appear to concede that flipping the governor’s mansion is unlikely. However, Trump and his team have refrained from addressing the issue, as the former president tries to quietly distance himself from a candidate he has previously endorsed and celebrated on various platforms.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign wasted no time in releasing an advertisement tying Trump to Robinson, with the intention of amplifying this message in the weeks ahead.
With North Carolina being critical for Trump's prospects, and polling indicating a near tie between him and Harris, both campaigns view any potential advantage as significant, regardless of its scale.
“Anything that affects a couple thousand votes could be a huge deal. You’re talking to someone who lost by 10,000 votes out of 4.6 million,” remarked former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who narrowly lost his reelection bid in 2016 while Trump won the state.
McCrory also pointed out that North Carolinians have a history of voting across party lines, as evidenced by Democrats winning the governor's office in the last two presidential elections despite Trump’s victories in the state. His campaign is banking on this trend continuing, especially since he is currently engaged in a tightly-contested race with Harris in a state where he enjoyed only a 1.5-point victory in 2020.
Prior to the latest developments regarding Robinson, Trump had hailed him as a significant figure within conservative politics, referring to him as a “friend” and “one of the hottest politicians in the United States of America.” Robinson was given speaking opportunities during the Republican convention in Milwaukee and at Trump rallies. The former president has not withdrawn his endorsement.
“This is partially a problem of his making. Trump did not need to endorse,” said Doug Heye, a former spokesperson for the Republican National Committee from North Carolina. “He chose to.”
“If this is why he loses,” Heye continued, “it’s sort of like Kramer wearing the very pants he's trying to return.”
Despite private acknowledgment among Republican operatives that there may no longer be a viable fight on behalf of Robinson, many believe that Trump can still secure a victory in the state. They argue that Robinson’s issues are likely to impact state legislative races more than they will influence presidential decisions.
“Reverse coattails are a fiction dreamed up by Clinton and Biden staffers looking to blame someone other than themselves for losing North Carolina in ‘16 and ‘20,” commented Jonathan Felts, a Republican consultant in the state who believes Trump “remains in a strong position to win” due to the resonance of his economic message with a broad spectrum of voters, particularly in rural areas. “Harris is scared of rural North Carolina because she has no good answers on inflation, gas prices, and the disaster that is the Southern border on her watch. And that’s why Trump wins again.”
Robinson is not expected to appear with Trump at a Wilmington rally this Saturday. However, the Democrats are likely to ensure that he remains a topic of discussion. On Thursday, the Harris campaign launched an advertisement associating Trump with Robinson, focusing on Robinson's controversial comments about abortion, such as his assertion that women obtain abortions “because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.” The ad also included clips of Trump praising Robinson.
The Harris campaign believes that the anti-abortion messaging from Robinson is more detrimental than his recent scandals, which have garnered extensive media attention. According to a source familiar with the campaign's strategy, there are concerns that further media coverage could exacerbate Robinson's vulnerabilities.
Trump and Robinson's campaigns declined to provide comments on the situation.
Even prior to Thursday's CNN report, Robinson had been the subject of various unflattering stories regarding his comments about women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and minority groups. He gained support from GOP officials during the primary, surpassing more traditional Republicans despite personal controversies.
Robinson had quickly garnered popularity among the GOP electorate after a viral video of him advocating for gun rights during a Greensboro City Council meeting in 2018. Efforts to challenge his candidacy during the primary fell flat. Although state Republican leaders claimed to have limited knowledge of Robinson's vulnerabilities, including his problematic online history, they were aware that potentially damaging information could emerge, according to multiple sources involved in local Republican politics.
“Everyone who wanted to know knew,” McCrory stated regarding the public availability of compromising information about Robinson. “It was a ticking time bomb, and the fuse has been burning for a long time.”
As new details continue to surface about Robinson, national Republicans are increasingly concerned about the implications for the presidential race.
“The only people voting for Mark Robinson are the Republican-or-die folks,” said Oscar Brock, RNC national committeeman from Tennessee. “He’s going to get creamed. He will be drawing no additional voters to the ballot.
“Between the enthusiasm growing for Harris and dampened Republican enthusiasm because of Mark Robinson, this could have an effect.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
