In somewhat awkward timing, former President Donald J. Trump plans to campaign in North Carolina on Saturday as his choice for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, faces charges that he posted disturbing messages on a pornographic website.
Mr Trump’s visit to Wilmington, North Carolina, for a rally comes two days after CNN reported that Mr Robinson once called himself a “black NAZI!” and defended slavery years ago on a pornography forum.
Mr. Robinson, whom Mr. Trump endorsed in March, has denied the report and vowed to stay in the race. But both parties are closely examining the fallout, which could have a ripple effect on the presidential race, given that North Carolina is a key state that Mr. Trump has won twice but that Democrats view as competitive.
The lieutenant governor, who has a history of making inflammatory and offensive remarks, is not expected to attend Mr. Trump’s rally on Saturday, according to a person familiar with the details of the schedule. Mr. Robinson was also absent when Mr. Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, visited the state on Wednesday, the day before CNN’s report was published.
A spokesman for Mr. Robinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The Trump campaign declined to comment on the controversy when reached for comment Friday.
Democrats, who won North Carolina in 2008, are seeking to remind voters in the increasingly competitive state of Trump’s praise for Robinson. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign on Friday ran a television ad called “Both Wrong,” which highlights Trump’s warm words to Robinson and some of Robinson’s polarizing statements. At least nine electronic billboards across the state will run ads Friday and Saturday, funded by the Democratic National Committee, linking the two Republicans.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly praised Mr. Robinson, describing him as “Martin Luther King on steroids” when he endorsed him. At a fundraiser for him last year at Mr. Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Fla., the former president said Mr. Robinson was a “star” and should be cherished “like a fine wine.”
The North Carolina Republican Party responded to CNN’s report in a statement Thursday, saying Robinson’s political opponents were trying to smear him to distract from issues like inflation and immigration. It had no further comment Friday.
According to the CNN report, Robinson was the source of dozens of disturbing comments on the Nude Africa website, including a post in which he recounted how, at age 14, he “spied” on women in public gym showers. He said he fantasized about the memory as an adult.
Mr. Robinson, whose poll numbers were already falling before Thursday, also wrote approvingly of a return to the days of slavery.
“Slavery is not a bad thing,” he wrote. “Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it back (slavery). I would certainly buy a few.”
The North Carolina gubernatorial race is one of the most important contests of this election cycle, pitting Robinson against Josh Stein, the state’s Democratic attorney general.
Republicans must now wonder whether Mr. Robinson will be a drag on Mr. Trump’s chances of replicating his electoral success in the state, where the former president and Ms. Harris were tied at 48 percent on Friday, according to a polling average maintained by The New York Times.
The top two Republican National Committee officials are both from the state. Michael Whatley was chosen by Mr. Trump to lead the GOP after leading the North Carolina Republican Party, and Lara Trump, the party’s co-chair and Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law, is from Wilmington.
