Top GOP group scrubs Mark Robinson from website after damning report

A Republican organization tasked with electing candidates to state legislatures has removed all references to Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson from its website. The deletion follows a CNN report that Robinson posted several offensive comments to an internet porn forum, including referring to himself as a “Black Nazi.”

Robinson is the Republican candidate for North Carolina governor. His Democratic opponent is state Attorney General Josh Stein.

Prior to the September 20 report, Robinson was listed as the chairman of the Right Leadership Network, a group that recruits and trains candidates for state legislature races. The group is an offshoot of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). Robinson’s name and photo have been scrubbed from the Right Leadership Network website.

The RSLC did not respond to questions about why Robinson was removed, if he is still affiliated with the organization, or if they disavow his remarks.

According to CNN, Robinson posted comments to the online forum “Nude Africa” between 2008 and 2012. In several of the comments, Robinson used offensive slurs to describe Black people, Jews, and the LGBTQ community. He also reminisced about spying on women in locker rooms.

The report came on the heels of the Right Leadership Network naming its “spotlight candidates” for 2024. The chosen candidates will receive digital campaign support from the RSLC. Chairs of the Right Leadership Network played a direct role in deciding which candidates were elevated. A press release said the candidates were chosen for their diversity and because they “represent the values of their communities.”

Two of the spotlight candidates are in North Carolina. Stacie McGinn is running for state senate in district 42 and Ashlee Adams is running for state senate in district 18. Both candidates were asked whether they support Robinson’s campaign and for their reaction to the CNN report. No responses were provided.

This is not the first Robinson scandal. On Sept. 16, HuffPost unearthed a video from 2022 in which he said young women do not need access to birth control. Robinson then waved his hand by his crotch and said they just need to “get this under control.” 

Robinson made a similar remark in 2019.

“Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers,” Robinson said. “It is about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.” 

Robinson has advocated for both a six-week abortion ban and a total abortion ban. Despite these views, he has openly admitted to paying for his wife to have an abortion in 1989. In a recent ad, Robinson stated he would not push for stricter laws beyond North Carolina’s current 12-week abortion ban, which includes exceptions for rape and incest. Shortly after the ad aired, however, he told a town hall audience that he still supports a total ban.

In 2021, Robinson described gay and transgender people as “filth.” Robinson wrote on “Nude Africa” that he enjoys pornography featuring transgender performers.

An Emerson College poll from September showed Stein leading Robinson by eight percentage points.