Mark Robinson Admits Deception Over Racist Porn Site Posts to Shield Trump
Mark Robinson, the former Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina, has publicly acknowledged that he misled voters during his unsuccessful 2024 gubernatorial campaign. He denied posting racist and offensive comments on a pornography website, but now admits he did so to protect Donald Trump's successful presidential bid.
Podcast Confession Reveals Political Motives
In a recent interview on the After the Call podcast, Robinson stated, "I won't say that I completely lied. Some of the things about the whole story – some of it — there's some truth to it." He explained that denying the reports was "the most expedient thing to do" to shield those around him, including Trump. Robinson, who worked in furniture manufacturing before entering politics in 2020, added, "If I had to ignore the truth at that moment for their expediency, I felt like it was the right thing to do."
CNN Investigation Uncovers Offensive Online Activity
The controversy erupted in September 2024 when CNN reported that Robinson had been posting under a pseudonym on Nude Africa, an online porn forum. According to CNN, Robinson, who is Black, expressed support for slavery, labelled Martin Luther King a "commie bastard," and said if he belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, he would refer to King by a racist name. The report also detailed his use of homophobic and antisemitic slurs, including an exclamation of "I'm a black NAZI!"
Further investigations by The Washington Post revealed that Robinson praised Mein Kampf on the same forum, describing it as a "good read" and "very informative and not at all what I thought it would be. It's a real eye-opener." These posts were made more than a decade before his political career.
Initial Denials and Campaign Fallout
Robinson initially denied authorship of the comments, posting a video on X where he asserted, "Let me reassure you: the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson." However, the discrepancies between his campaign positioning and online persona led to top campaign staff fleeing. Trump, who had previously hailed Robinson as "one of the great stars of the [Republican] party, one of the great stars in politics," distanced himself from the candidate.
The race for North Carolina governor was ultimately won by Democrat Josh Stein by a significant 14-point margin in November 2024, marking a decisive end to Robinson's political aspirations.
Robinson's Personal Struggles and Justifications
During the podcast, Robinson admitted to having an "obsession" with pornography and sex, acknowledging that allegations about his involvement were "absolutely true." He suggested that people like him, who have overcome such addictions, are best positioned to help others. "The only shame in it is staying in it," he remarked.
Robinson also hinted at the possibility that some posts were fabricated or impersonated, stating, "There was enough meat on the bone from conversations that I'd had with people, long before I became lieutenant governor, to make those things possible for them to be crafted." He did not deny saying "enough salacious things" that could be misattributed.
Defending His Actions for Political Expediency
When asked if he would make the same decision to deny the comments again, Robinson confirmed he would, emphasizing that his actions were not about himself. "It wasn't about me," he said. "They knew that they could use me to destroy, the people around me, up to and including the president, they would do it. And so I'd make the exact same decision." He expressed concern about potentially costing Trump the election, noting, "I certainly don't want to be the person that costs the president of the United States the election – didn't want to cost anyone else their election. I guess there may be some people that feel like that I did."
Trump secured a second presidency by defeating Kamala Harris in the same electoral cycle, but Robinson's admission highlights the complex interplay of personal scandals and political loyalty within the Republican Party.
