As part of her presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris is intensifying efforts to associate former President Donald Trump with Mark Robinson, the North Carolina gubernatorial candidate embroiled in a scandal over his explicit online comments. It is part of a strategy to win in crucial swing states such as North Carolina as the presidential race intensifies.
Trump avoided addressing whether he would withdraw his endorsement of Robinson during a press conference at Trump Tower. This came after revelations about the Lieutenant Governor’s alleged inappropriate online posts surfaced. “I don’t know the situation,” Trump stated before addressing other queries.
A CNN report connected Robinson to comments on a pornography forum where he identified himself as a “black NAZI!” and voiced support for slavery. Despite Robinson’s vehement denials, the revelations have led to staff resignations and growing criticism from Republican ranks.
Responding to Trump’s seeming apathy, spokesperson for the Harris campaign, Ammar Moussa, made pointed remarks: “It’s impossible to believe that, somehow, Donald Trump missed the news about his handpicked candidate for governor calling himself a ‘Nazi.’”
The Harris campaign is focusing on Trump’s association with Robinson, aiming to gain an advantage in North Carolina, a critical battleground state. Robinson has inadvertently become a key figure in Harris’ North Carolina strategy. The campaign’s volunteers are emphasizing Robinson’s controversial statements and Trump’s continued endorsement to North Carolina voters, especially as Robinson’s support base starts to waver. Republican Governors Association member, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, withdrew his support publicly this week.
Notably, in recent North Carolina campaign stops, Trump has refrained from mentioning Robinson, who he previously hailed as “one of the great leaders in our country.” The Democrats, and the Harris campaign specifically, continue to underscore Trump’s endorsement of Robinson.
During the same press conference in New York, Trump launched an attack on Harris, falsely accusing her of immigration failures and making baseless claims, including a statement that “She lost 325,000 children, and they’re either dead, being sold into sex slavery or just plain missing,” as he tried to link Harris to the deaths and disappearances of children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
These allegations by Trump have been thoroughly refuted, as they seem to be misinterpretations of an August report by the Department of Homeland Security. The report indicated that 32,000 migrant children missed their scheduled immigration court hearings, but there is no evidence to substantiate Trump’s claims.
Trump also pledged to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, echoing President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback.” He stated, “This will be much larger than that, but we will get rid of the drug dealers, human traffickers, and murderers.”
North Carolina is emerging as a crucial battleground in the 2024 election. Trump won it by a narrow margin of 1.3 percentage points in 2020, but Harris’ team hopes that Robinson’s ongoing issues could give the Democrats the boost needed to win the state’s 16 electoral votes.
Nevertheless, some within the Harris campaign fear that even with Robinson’s current difficulties, it may not be enough to secure a Democratic win in North Carolina. A campaign volunteer, Vernon Daughtry, expressed optimism that the scandal could influence the race. “I hope he brings Trump down,” Daughtry said, referring to Robinson.
Despite these concerns, the Harris campaign is confident that its focus on Robinson will appeal to voters, especially among North Carolina’s suburban, college-educated population and the growing Hispanic and African American communities. These demographics could be crucial in a state that has not seen a Democratic victory since Barack Obama’s win in 2008.
As the fallout from the Robinson scandal continues, its impact on Trump’s standing in North Carolina remains uncertain. However, the Harris campaign is making every effort to use the scandal to their advantage.
