WILKESBORO, N.C. — His staff had just resigned en masse. His allies believed he would lose. His scandals now threatened to drag down his whole party in the critical state of North Carolina.
But Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson plowed ahead with his Monday visit to a bakery, insisting to a small crowd of journalists and die-hard supporters that “we have full confidence we can go on.”
No matter that recent news reports tied him to an old account on a porn site that described an extramarital affair, praised slavery and recommended Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” as “a good read.” He denied it all.
“We are not going to let CNN throw us off of our mission!” Robinson said to whoops and cheers, referring to the outlet that first reported the porn site account.
“Fake news!” a woman shouted.
The campaign stop Monday morning in Wilkesboro reflected Robinson’s defiant response to the explosive allegations upending his campaign and panicking Republicans in North Carolina and beyond. Some in the GOP have pressed Robinson to drop out over the past week, fearful that the porn revelations will tank downballot candidates and even hurt Donald Trump in a crucial 2024 battleground state. But Robinson, the lieutenant governor of North Carolina, is pressing on, politically diminished.
Downballot candidates once lined up to greet voters at Robinson’s events and bask in his stardom. No longer. Now, state GOP leaders worry Robinson could alienate enough voters to cost them their supermajority in the General Assembly, and Trump made no mention of Robinson at his Saturday rally in North Carolina. A representative for the Republican Governors Association said Monday that “no further placements” had been made for ad buys in the race.
In many ways, Robinson is now campaigning against the news media rather than Josh Stein, the state’s Democratic attorney general. Speaking with the fiery indignation that once made him GOP star, Robinson on Monday accused the media of ignoring real issues in favor of “15- to 20-year-old salacious false lies.”
“They want to talk about what possibly happened 15 years ago,” Robinson said. “Let’s talk about right now.”
His campaign was in shambles six weeks out from Election Day. His general consultant Conrad Pogorzelski II had resigned along with at least seven other staff, Pogorzelski said — the campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, finance director, deputy finance director, director of operations and two political directors.
“We don’t comment on internal strategy or investment decisions, but we can confirm what’s public — our current media buy in North Carolina expires tomorrow, and no further placements have been made. RGA remains committed to electing Republican Governors all across the country,” said RGA communications director Courtney Alexander.
A handful of protesters taunted Robinson with signs as he arrived at Vernon’s Cake Carousel Bakery, accompanied by one of his last remaining aides, communications director Mike Lonergan.
“HELP WANTED,” one sign read, listing campaign manager and other newly vacant roles. Robinson claimed to reporters, without providing details, that “we’re getting resumes from all over.”
Robinson’s fans carried on as if the upheaval was not happening. “We believe in you!” someone shouted from the crowd of several dozen supporters.
Dennis Caudill, 65, who showed up Monday morning wearing a Trump hat, said he doesn’t put much stock in the accusations against Robinson. “You don’t know what to believe in these times anymore,” he said.
Trump’s team has long viewed North Carolina as an important part of their path to victory, and polls show Trump and the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris effectively tied. But Caudill brushed aside concerns that Robinson’s drama could hurt Trump, too.
“Look at the lies they tell on Trump,” Caudill said.
Nearby, protesters tried to interject.
“Your candidate is a self-proclaimed Nazi!” one of them, Amy Cooper, told Robinson supporter Ryan Mathis — who soon wandered away.
Mathis, 32, said he was not bothered by the old porn site comments — which included the declaration “I’m a black NAZI!” He said he liked Robinson’s policies and got emotional talking about how people could change.
“I think anybody can be forgiven,” he said.
Robinson took pictures with his supporters, fielded a few questions and left after about half an hour. He made one last jab at the media on his way out — accusing a reporter of previously ignoring him when he became North Carolina’s first Black lieutenant governor.
“You did not knock on my door. Don’t knock on it now!” Robinson shouted.
The crowd cheered, and Robinson got into his car and left.
Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.