Democrats launch new ad campaign to link Trump to Mark Robinson over reported comments on porn site
Less than 24 hours after CNN published a shocking report about comments that Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson allegedly made on a pornographic website, the Democratic National Committee has unveiled new ads linking him to former President Donald Trump.
The DNC plans to launch a new digital ad and nearly a dozen billboards featuring Trump’s praise for Robinson, the North Carolina lieutenant governor, according to a source familiar with the matter and a press release from DNC regional press secretary Kenny Palmer. NBC News was first to report the new ad campaign.
By linking Trump to Robinson, Democrats hope to reduce Trump’s support in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 2008.
North Carolina could prove decisive in a tight presidential race, and Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, himself said it would be “very difficult” for his ticket to win in November if Democrats flip North Carolina.
The DNC ads will launch Friday. The digital ads will target North Carolina voters on YouTube and Facebook, the source said, while Palmer said in the news release that billboards will be plastered in cities across the key state.
The source familiar with the matter said TV ads to pair Trump with Robinson were “definitely on the table.” Nothing is a given yet, the source added.
The billboard features a photo of Trump and Robinson posing together, along with quotes from Trump about Robinson, such as “we must cherish Mark” and that Robinson is “exceptional” and an “incredible gentleman.”
Digital ads echo similar sentiments, the source said.
The Trump and Robinson campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Democrats’ attempt to link the two men through ads.
The report published Thursday by CNN details a series of racist and anti-Semitic comments Robinson allegedly made on a porn site’s forum. Robinson called the allegations “sensational trash” in a video posted before the report was published.
CNN reported that Robinson’s comments were made between 2008 and 2012 and included statements in which he called himself a “black NAZI,” said that “slavery is not wrong” and added that he wished “they would bring it back.”
Robinson also said that if he were in the Ku Klux Klan, he would have referred to Martin Luther King Jr. using a racial slur, CNN reported. In March, Trump called Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
“I told Mark that. I told him, ‘I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you’re Martin Luther King times two,'” Trump said at a rally in Greensboro where he endorsed Robinson for governor.
Robinson was elected lieutenant governor in 2020 and has vowed to remain in the race for governor.
Trump praised Robinson, calling him “remarkable” and “One of the most prominent politicians,” he added. Robinson has “become a friend of mine.” Robinson also spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement: “Donald Trump and Mark Robinson are two MAGA extremists, both cut from the same cloth. Both are radical anti-choice, election deniers, and have a long and troubling history of spreading hate. Make no mistake: Trump has embraced and bonded with Robinson at every turn.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson released a statement after the story was published, though he did not mention Robinson or the comments alleged by CNN.
“President Trump’s campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving this country. North Carolina is a critical part of that plan,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in the statement. “We are confident that when voters compare Trump’s record of a strong economy, low inflation, a secure border and safe streets to the failures of Biden-Harris, President Trump will win the Tarheel State again. We will not lose sight of our goal.”
Harris’ campaign’s X account posted more than a half-dozen messages in the hours after the CNN article broke, linking Trump to Robinson. The posts included clips of Trump congratulating Robinson at rallies and shaking his hand, and of them posing for photos together.
In 2020, Trump narrowly won North Carolina, taking 49.9% of the vote to Joe Biden’s 48.6%. Democrats have targeted North Carolina as a potential November flip state, giving Harris’ campaign 16 electoral votes, which could prove decisive.
The state “was competitive before, and Republican extremism is at the forefront in this state — from Trump to Robinson to the second-tier candidates,” DNC spokesman Abhi Rahman said in a text message.
Democrats have poured millions of dollars into advertising in the state, and Harris has made several stops in the state for rallies this month. Two Harris rallies in North Carolina last week drew about 25,000 spectators in total.
A Quinnipiac University poll this month found Harris had the support of 49 percent of likely voters, while Trump had the support of 46 percent. The results were within the poll’s margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
