North Carolina GOP gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson said Thursday that he’s not dropping out of his race after a CNN report uncovered years of disturbing comments he made in a forum on a porn website, including referring to himself as as a “black Nazi,” describing being sexually aroused by secretly watching women in showers, and calling himself a “perv” who likes pornography featuring transgender people ― a sharp contrast to his present-day transphobic rhetoric.
Rumors were circulating early Thursday about the CNN report, hours before it was published, and during that time, Robinson preemptively said it wasn’t true.
“Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he said in a video statement. “You know my words. You know my character. And you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before.”
But he didn’t give any details about what, exactly, was coming in the report. It’s not good.
CNN reports that Robinson, who is currently the state’s lieutenant governor, made all kinds of lewd and offensive comments between 2008 and 2012 in forums on the website Nude Africa.
The far-right conservative, who already has a long history of demeaning women and girls, allegedly described secretly “peeping” on women in public gym showers through vents. “I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” he wrote, per CNN’s report.
“I went peeping again the next morning,” Robinson reportedly continued. “But after that I went back the ladder was locked! So those two times where [sic] the only times I got to do it! Ahhhhh memories!!!!”
CNN also reports that Robinson raved about his interest in pornography featuring transgender people: “I like watching tranny on girl porn! That’s f*cking hot! It takes the man out while leaving the man in! And yeah I’m a ‘perv’ too!”
In public life, Robinson has routinely attacked the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people. He’s referred to gay and trans people as “filth,” and said gay people are equivalent to “what the cows leave behind,” as well as “maggots” and “flies.” In February, he said trans women should be arrested for using women’s bathrooms, and suggested they instead “find a corner outside somewhere” to relieve themselves.
The CNN report, which included numerous screenshots from porn websites Robinson allegedly frequented for years, says that Robinson also referred to himself as a “black NAZI” and expressed support for reinstating slavery.
Earlier Thursday, the Carolina Journal reported that Robinson’s staff and members of former President Donald Trump’s campaign were calling on him to withdraw from his race over what was coming.
Requests for comment from Robinson’s campaign and from his official government office were not returned.
Robinson has been steadily trailing in the polls against his Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Josh Stein.
Stein’s campaign issued this statement in response to the CNN report: “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be Governor. Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”
Even if Robinson were to abruptly drop out of his race, Thursday night is the state’s deadline to withdraw, and it’s already too late to remove his name from the ballot. Absentee ballots are set to go out Friday.
Robinson, like Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has a long history of making sexist, homophobic and otherwise offensive remarks, as well as peddling wild conspiracy theories. He has modeled himself after Trump, who endorsed Robinson in March.
The fact that he’s not dropping out is good news for Democrats, who are hoping Robinson’s tanking numbers will be a drag on Trump and give a boost to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the state, along with other Democrats lower on the ticket.
At least one North Carolina Republican is uneasy about what the new reports about Robinson mean.
“Not good,” is all Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) told HuffPost on Thursday.