North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson sustained second-degree burns on his hand during a campaign event in Mt. Airy on Friday night. Robinson’s team confirmed that he has been released from the hospital and is expected to continue his campaign activities today, according to his communications director, Mike Lonergan.
Per CNN:
Lonergan added in a statement that Robinson “is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning.”
Robinson’s burns stemmed from an accident at an automotive show and no foul play was involved, a law enforcement source told CNN.
Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican nominee for governor, had made several campaign stops around the state on Friday, according to a previously provided schedule and social media posts. His final stop was the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade in Mount Airy, where the incident occurred.
The campaign has not provided any further details about the incident.
Online Controversy Continues To Intensify
Robinson has been under increasing pressure to withdraw from the race following the resurfacing of his alleged posts on a pornographic website’s messaging board. The posts, written between 2008 and 2012, include lewd and offensive statements where Robinson supposedly called himself a “black NAZI,” admitted to watching transgender pornography and compared Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to a “maggot.” He also reportedly expressed a preference for Adolf Hitler over then-President Barack Obama and recalled peeping on women in gym showers as a teenager.
Robinson has denied making the posts and hired a legal team to investigate the “false smears.” He accuses his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, of leaking the story, calling the allegations “salacious tabloid lies.”
Republican Leaders Distance Themselves
As the backlash intensifies, several prominent Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Robinson. High-level staff members, including his campaign manager and deputy campaign manager, have resigned. His chief of staff and general counsel, Brian LiVecchi, is also set to step down next Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump has not commented on the controversy.
Impact on Trump and the North Carolina Race
Political commentators argue that Robinson’s scandal could become a significant liability for Trump in the crucial swing state of North Carolina, where polling shows a tight race between Trump and Kamala Harris. Polling for the gubernatorial race has been less favorable for Robinson, the latest CNN/SSRS poll shows his Democratic rival, Josh Stein, leading by 17 points – a gap that would mark a historic defeat if it holds.
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