North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, is firing back against CNN after the publication released a report claiming he once referred to himself as a “Black NAZI” and made other controversial statements on a porn site’s message board.
Robinson, who dismissed the claims as “salacious lies,” has now hired the Binnall Law Group to investigate what he insists are baseless smears. The law firm, led by Jesse Binnall, has close ties to Trump’s legal team, signaling that Robinson is gearing up for a serious fight.
“From day one, I’ve called CNN’s claims nothing but lies. But I won’t let these attacks take us off course from delivering a better future for our state. I’m bringing Jesse Binnall and his team on board to track down exactly where these false smears are coming from,” Robinson said in a statement.
— Mark Robinson (@markrobinsonNC) September 24, 2024
Robinson insisted that he’s confident that Binnall’s team will “leave no stone unturned” and ensure every legal tool is used to hold CNN’s feet to the fire. Despite this distraction, he stressed that his campaign remains focused on the key issues in the run-up to the election.
The controversy took a sharp turn after CNN’s report contended that Robinson had published provocative remarks over a decade ago, including communicating a desire to reinstate slavery, calling Martin Luther King Jr. a “commie bastard,” and saying that he’d prefer Adolf Hitler over “any of the s— in Washington.” These statements have drawn harsh criticism, even within Robinson’s party. Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, has already distanced himself, saying he wouldn’t support Robinson. At the same time, South Carolina’s Senator Lindsey Graham made it clear that if the allegations were true, Robinson would be “unfit to serve.”
This morning I spoke with Republican leaders across the state and made it clear: This is an election about policies, not personalities. Now is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense.
— Mark Robinson (@markrobinsonNC) September 25, 2024
We have 41 days to make our case – we can’t do it without all hands on deck.… pic.twitter.com/THfkZmNJeW
The pressure is on, with prominent figures like Senator Tom Cotton weighing in, insisting that Robinson owes the people of North Carolina some straight answers. However, Robinson isn’t backing down, going as far as to threaten CNN with legal action and doubling down on his belief that this is just another attempt to derail his campaign.
The stage is set for a legal showdown, but the damage to Robinson’s political dreams may already be done as his allies continue to slip away.
