By James Oliphant
(Reuters) – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign said his party’s candidate for governor of North Carolina, who faces a tough race, will not join him when he visits the key electoral state on Saturday.
Trump had previously endorsed Mark Robinson, the subject of an explosive CNN report this week, who once described himself as a black Nazi and suggested bringing back slavery in comments posted on a porn site.
Robinson, the state’s lieutenant governor, denied the allegations and said he would remain in the race for governor. His campaign could not be reached for comment.
Some Republicans fear that his candidacy in one of the nation’s most high-profile presidential races this year could hurt Trump’s chances in the swing state, where polls show Trump essentially tied with Democratic rival Kamala Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
Ahead of Trump’s afternoon rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday, the Democratic National Committee launched new ads in Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro linking the former president to Robinson.
The billboard ads show a photo of the two men together, along with direct quotes from Trump earlier describing Robinson as an “outstanding person” and an “incredible gentleman.”
The Harris campaign also began airing a TV ad in the state on Friday featuring Trump’s past praise of Robinson.
In March, Trump called Robinson a “Martin Luther King on steroids” after Robinson gave a speech in Greensboro, and Robinson appeared at a Trump event last month. If elected, Robinson would be the state’s first black governor.
Robinson is known for his controversial statements, sometimes referring to Muslims as “invaders” and calling gay and transgender people “filthy”. He has also made comments denying the Holocaust.
Trump has yet to address the latest allegations against Robinson. One Trump adviser, who asked not to be named, said Trump should stay quiet and not stir up controversy.
“Ignore him, let him die,” said the counselor.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The Harris campaign and its allies have invested heavily in North Carolina, including two vice presidential stops in the past week. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won the state since 2008, but voters elected Democrat Roy Cooper governor in 2016 and 2020.
Robinson was trailing Democratic challenger Josh Stein even before CNN’s report, suggesting he could be a drag on Trump’s chances in the state if some disaffected Republicans stay home on Election Day or defect to Harris.
In a state that Trump won by just 1.3 percentage points in 2020, the Robinson scandal could hurt Republicans’ chances of voting in November, including Trump, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.
“If some people feel the Republican brand is tarnished enough that they would rather stay home, that would matter a lot,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t take a big difference to flip the state.”
Thom Tillis, a Republican U.S. senator from North Carolina, responded to the accusations against Robinson by telling voters on Channel X: “We should focus on the races we can win,” citing the presidential election but omitting the gubernatorial vote.
“If Harris wins North Carolina, she wins the White House,” Tillis wrote. “We cannot let that happen.”