NC candidate said he was 'Black Nazi' on porn site
North Carolina GOP governor nominee Mark Robinson made a series of disturbing comments on a message board

What happened
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, posted racist and sexist comments on a pornography site forum, including identifying himself as a "Black Nazi," CNN said on Thursday. An email address CNN used to confirm Robinson's porn account was also registered on Ashley Madison, a website for married people seeking affairs, Politico said. Robinson rejected calls to drop out of the race against Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.
Who said what
CNN said it was disclosing "only a small portion" of Robinson's comments from 2008 to 2012 on the site "Nude Africa," due to their "graphic nature." But it did record him saying "slavery is not bad" and "I wish they would bring it back"; admitting he liked to watch "tranny on girl porn"; and claiming he would "take Hitler over any of the shit that's in Washington" during Barack Obama's presidency.
Robinson told CNN "these are not our words" or "anything that is characteristic of me." Presented with the "litany of evidence connecting him" with the account, CNN said, Robinson said he wouldn't "get into the minutia of how somebody manufactured this, these salacious tabloid lies." The problem for Robinson is the comments "sound extremely similar to what he's said elsewhere," David Graham said at The Atlantic, and his frequenting of a porn site doesn't "stretch incredulity" after a report this month found he frequented porn shops in the 1990s and 2000s.
Donald Trump, who enthusiastically endorsed Robinson in March, has "foisted damaging candidates on the GOP" for years, Aaron Blake said at The Washington Post, but for once it could cause a "real problem for Trump personally," turning off voters in a crucial state he barely won in 2020 and is up for grabs this year.
What next?
Yesterday was the final day to withdraw from the race before ballots are printed, The Raleigh News & Observer said. So "Republicans now appear to be stuck with Robinson," The Atlantic's Graham said. "They can't say they weren't warned."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
'Spending is what card issuers are hoping you will do'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Deportations: The growing backlash
Feature New poll numbers show declining support for Trump's deportation crackdown
-
Is Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' cancellation an omen of something worse?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION CBS said its decision to end the talk show was strictly business. But the timing and nature of the announcement has some observers wondering if there's more at play behind the scenes.
-
Citizenship: Trump order blocked again
Feature After the Supreme Court restricted nationwide injunctions, a federal judge turned to a class action suit to block Trump's order to end birthright citizenship
-
Epstein: Why MAGA won't move on
Feature Trump's supporters are turning on him after he denied the existence of Epstein's client list