The bar was high for the Mark Robinson scandal.
North Carolinians like me have known about some of his shenanigans for a while, but now the rest of the country is catching up.
The Republican lieutenant governor and gubernatorial candidate is already a known Holocaust denier, he has called LGBTQ+ people “filth,” and he is strongly opposed to abortion, despite admitting to paying for an abortion 30 years ago.
But recent revelations about Robinson’s online presence could permanently cripple his political ambitions – and potentially affect former President Donald Trump’s chances of winning North Carolina.
Robinson’s scandal goes beyond malicious comments
According to a recent CNN investigation, Robinson reportedly called himself a “black Nazi” and a “pervert.” He admitted to fantasizing about transgender porn and peeking into women’s locker rooms when he was 14. He posted all this and more on the porn forum Nude Africa.
“Slavery isn’t bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they’d bring it back. I’d definitely buy some,” a user named minisoldr wrote in 2010.
CNN linked the username to Robinson by comparing demographic information and phrases used on both Nude Africa and Robinson’s personal Facebook page.
OPINION: Mark ‘minisoldr’ Robinson is done. Who brought the Nazis?
Robinson denies all of this. He said at the event on Monday that he was considering “consulting with lawyers” about filing a lawsuit against CNN.
Robinson’s email address was also reportedly used to host an account on Ashley Madison, a website for married people looking for affairs, according to Politico. An adviser confirmed that the email address belonged to the lieutenant governor.
North Carolina may actually hold Robinson accountable.
Robinson appears to be feeling the repercussions in the gubernatorial race, where the report prompted Elections Daily to change its forecast for the North Carolina gubernatorial race from “Dem Strong” to “Democrat Safe.” Robinson was already ahead of Democratic candidate North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein in the polls.
In addition to the campaign changes, four members of Robinson’s campaign staff resigned, and Robinson subsequently hired Jack Burkman, a Republican lobbyist and conspiracy theorist who was convicted in 2022 of a felony wire fraud, to run the remainder of his campaign.
OPINION: Will North Carolina have a MAGA governor? Why are we allowing this to happen?
Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to remind voters of Robinson’s ties to Trump, who once called the lieutenant governor “Martin Luther King on steroids,” a move that could have a major impact on the presidential race in North Carolina.
ABC News’ 538 poll gives Trump a 0.6% lead, but that margin could easily change before the election.
North Carolina, meanwhile, has a history of splitting its vote: The state supported Trump in the past two elections but elected Democratic governor Roy Cooper, and that pattern could well be repeated.
North Carolina Republicans are doubling down on Robinson’s support.
If the North Carolina Republican Party had any self-respect, its leaders would have denounced Robinson. They could have even called for him to resign from his position. Instead, they took a more forceful stance.
“Mark Robinson categorically denies the CNN allegations, but that hasn’t stopped the left from trying to demonise him through personal attacks,” the party said in a post on X.
Republicans have reportedly privately urged Robinson to withdraw from the race and remove his name from the ballot before the deadline, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-Ill.) also speaking out publicly.
“If the reports about Mark Robinson are a complete media fabrication, he needs to take immediate legal action,” Tillis said Friday night on The X. “If the reports are true, he owes it to President Trump and all Republicans to take responsibility for his actions and put the future of North Carolina and our party above himself.”
I hate to say it, but Tillis is right: Robinson needs to think about what’s best for the state, and whether that includes him.
I doubt he will actually withdraw from the race or resign from his position as lieutenant governor, but that would be the right thing to do.
If that’s the case, all we can do is hope that North Carolina voters will believe the news and vote accordingly in November.
Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeno on X. Previously on Twitter: @sara__pequeno