North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson (R) will not be in attendance when former President Trump rallies supporters in the state on Saturday, a source told The Hill.
Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Wilmington, two days after a bombshell CNN report about remarks that Robinson made on an online pornography forum between 2008 and 2012, including that he supported slavery and called himself a “Black Nazi.”
The former president has endorsed Robinson, who has vowed to stay in the race despite widespread criticism over his past remarks.
Trump himself has not yet weighed in on Robinson since the latest report on his incendiary past remarks. The former president previously compared Robinson to Martin Luther King Jr., and Robinson was given a prominent speaking slot at July’s GOP convention. Robinson attended a Trump rally in North Carolina in August.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign issued a statement that did not mention Robinson, but called North Carolina a “vital part” of the plan for winning the White House.
“We are confident that as voters compare the Trump record of a strong economy, low inflation, a secure border, and safe streets, with the failures of Biden-Harris, then President Trump will win the Tar Heel State once again. We will not take our eye off the ball,” national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Republicans had already expressed concerns about Robinson’s viability as a candidate given the many controversial and derogatory statements he has made about various groups, including women and Jewish people.
But the newest allegations further mire Robinson in controversy, with polls already showing him down by double digits to Democratic candidate Jeff Stein.
North Carolina will also be a pivotal state in determining the outcome of November’s presidential election. Trump narrowly carried the state in 2020, but a Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average of polls from the state show Vice President Harris leading by 3.6 percentage points.
