By Lauren Irwin - 09/20/24

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has launched advertisements linking former President Trump to North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson after an explosive report about the GOP gubernatorial nominee was released Thursday.

The DNC said it is “blanketing” the North Carolina cities of Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro ahead of Trump’s rally this weekend, linking him to Robinson.

CNN released a damning report Thursday highlighting how Robinson made offensive statements on a porn site more than 10 years ago, including calling himself a “black NAZI” and wishing slavery to be reinstated, among other controversial claims. The lieutenant governor has denied the allegations.

Trump’s campaign declined to say whether Robinson should drop out of the race, per CNN.

Vice President Harris’s campaign, like the DNC, also sought to tie Robinson to her GOP rival following the news, quickly posting clips of the former president praising him.

“Trump’s bold embrace of Robinson isn’t anything new — he endorsed Robinson’s campaign ahead of the North Carolina Republican primary back in March,” the DNC said in a release. “Why? They are two peas in a pod.”

The advertisements in the battleground state will feature Trump’s past remarks about the gubernatorial candidate, including saying, “we have to cherish” Robinson and calling him an “outstanding person” and “incredible gentleman.”

Robinson has faced heavy criticism for his stance on the LGBTQ community and abortion, even before the report. He has since walked back many of his comments on reproductive rights in an attempt to appeal to voters, but the DNC wants to highlight his anti-abortion stance.

In a statement, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said Trump and Robinson are both “MAGA extremists.”

“Both are anti-choice radicals, election deniers, and have a long and disturbing history of spewing hate,” Harrison said. “Make no mistake: Trump has embraced and tied himself to Robinson at every turn.”

Robinson is facing off in the North Carolina governor’s race against state Attorney General Josh Stein . Stein currently holds a lead of 11 percentage points over Robinson, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling index.

Before the report was unveiled, speculation about the article’s contents caused some to wonder if Robinson could pull out of the race — especially as state prepared to mail out early ballots.

He said Thursday, however, that he would remain in the race and is being backed by the North Carolina Republican Party.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.