Republicans Scramble To Create Distance From ‘Perv’ NC Governor Nominee

Donald Trump plans on addressing the disastrous scandal engulfing North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson “in passing,” as he campaigns in the Tar Heel state this weekend. The New York Times reports that, while the Trump campaign is still hoping Robinson will withdraw from the race, aides believe Trump “will deliver a version of a comment he has made about countless supporters or former aides: that he hardly knows the guy.”

Quite the stretch for Trump, who told a rally in North Carolina back in March that Robinson was “Martin Luther King on steroids,” and “better than Martin Luther King,” and “Martin Luther King times two.”

The explosive report detailing Robinson’s morally hypocritical, bigoted, and unsavory comments on a porn forum between 2008-2012 came out on Thursday. It was bad, and that’s saying something about someone who has publicly lamented women getting the right to vote and calling the LGBTQ+ community “filth.” It included Robinson identifying himself as a “Black Nazi,” as well as disparaging and offensive statements about the late civil rights leader who Trump so glowingly compared him to.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign released an ad highlighting Trump’s “passing” relationship with Robinson.

The Harris’ campaign social media account added more reminders for people of what relationships of acquaintance seem to mean to Trump.

Trump isn’t alone, of course. The MAGA Republican world is filled with officials who have suddenly developed amnesia around their relationship to Robinson. North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx is one such absent-minded politician. Punchbowl News reports Foxx is claiming she “hasn’t really followed him closely.” That’s peculiar—she’s been in the same state doing campaign events with the man since 2020.

Robinson’s perfect cocktail of unabashed misogyny and bigotry helped propel him into right-wing political celebrity status. And that means there are so many more Republicans who will now have to answer for the glowing things they’ve said about the self-proclaimed “perv.”

There’s GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who lauded Robinson’s testimony on election integrity as “so compelling.”

There’s loser Gov. Ron DeSantis (and seemingly the entire Gaston Country, North Carolina Republican Party).

Democratic candidate for North Carolina Attorney General Rep. Jeff Jackson wondered what his Republican opponent Rep. Dan Bishop would say about his various glowing remarks when it came to Robinson. Jackson released a video showing Bishop falling over himself to praise Robinson.

North Carolina State Rep. Erin Paré really thought Robinson was the bees knees.

Of course, there are always the fellow nightmare officials such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who seems to have made a career of sidling up to all kinds of dreck.

Currently, Robinson is refusing to drop out of the race. Unless that changes, it seems his real come to Jesus moment will arrive at the ballot box.

Posted with permission from Daily Kos