The Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina made a series of posts on a pornography website years ago in which he expressed support for Adolf Hitler, called himself a "black NAZI" and said he'd support the return of slavery, CNN reports. Of enslaved people, Mark Robinson added on a message board in 2010, "I would certainly buy a few." An adamant opponent of transgender rights, the Donald Trump-backed candidate posted comments about enjoying transgender pornography, calling himself a "perv." He released a video statement before CNN published its report on Thursday, denying everything in it and saying he'll remain in the race.
"The things that you will see in that story—those are not the words of Mark Robinson," said the candidate, who has been enthusiastically praised by Trump at public rallies. A few Republicans in North Carolina called for Robinson to quit the race, per the New York Times. "For the sake of the party, for the sake of our down-ballot races … and for the sake of Donald Trump's victory in North Carolina, I think Mark Robinson needs to drop out," said Jonathan Bridges. He managed the campaign of Mark Walker, who ran against Robinson in the state's GOP primary, per the Washington Post. Under North Carolina law, state GOP leaders could pick a replacement for Robinson if he withdraws from the race before Friday, per the AP.
The posts were made on the website Nude Africa from 2008 and 2012, per CNN. Many of the posts were sexually graphic, including a story about peeping at women using a public shower when he was a teenager. Other posts concerned abortion and rape. His attacks on the Rev. Martin Luther King were so intense that another user accused Robinson of being a white supremacist; Trump has described the candidate as "Martin Luther King on steroids." During Barack Obama's administration, Robinson posted, "I'd take Hitler over any of the sh-- that's in Washington right now!" (More Mark Robinson stories.)