Both groups of ads will show Trump and Robinson posing together, with quotes from Trump that say “we have to cherish Mark” and praising the homophobic candidate as an “incredible gentleman.”
Trump is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Sunday, but Robinson will reportedly not be in attendance. In August, the campaign hosted Robinson at an event in Asheville.
Robinson was a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention in July, where Trump officially accepted the party’s nomination.
Trump has again and again touted Robinson as noted in a video compilation posted by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.
“This is Martin Luther King on steroids,” Trump said at a rally, speaking to Robinson. “I think you are better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.”
Trump’s comments came before the most recent disclosures about Robinson but after years of reporting on his bigoted rhetoric. In 2021, Robinson said the LGBTQ+ community was “filth” and compared being gay to “what the cows leave behind.” The Republican has also called young gun safety advocates “prosti-tots” promoting the conspiracy that there is a “big push to Marxist Socialism” underway in America.
In a video released ahead of the CNN report, Robinson denied that he made the posts in question.
He still has the support of the North Carolina Republican Party, who released a statement blaming the story on the left.
“Mark Robinson has categorically denied the allegations made by CNN but that won’t stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks,” the statement by the party said.
The New York Times has reported that operatives on the Trump campaign are concerned that the Robinson scandal could hurt Trump. The outlet said that Trump’s impulse on hearing the news was to “ignore the controversy and power through.”
North Carolina is considered a swing state in the presidential election. In the 2020 election, Trump narrowly defeated President Joe Biden there by a margin of only 1.34 percentage points. The three most recent opinion polls there show a lead for Trump, a lead for Harris, and a tie.
Polling has also shown Democrat Josh Stein, the state’s current attorney general and Robinson’s rival in the governor’s race, consistently leading.
