Quick Hit:

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the state's Republican nominee for governor, pushed back on reports Thursday accusing him of inflammatory comments about race and slavery on a porn site message board. Robinson called the allegations "salacious tabloid trash" and accused the media of trying to distract from important issues in the upcoming election.

Key Details:

• A CNN report alleged Robinson made provocative statements on a porn site's message board over a decade ago, including referring to himself as a “black NAZI” and expressing support for reinstating slavery.

• Robinson responded on his X (formerly Twitter) account, claiming the media is focused on "tabloid trash" to divert attention from critical issues in the governor's race.

• Further reports surfaced Thursday, including allegations that an email linked to Robinson was registered on Ashley Madison, a dating site for married individuals, which an adviser confirmed.

Diving Deeper:

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor, has found himself at the center of controversy after CNN released a report accusing him of making inflammatory remarks on a porn site’s message board over a decade ago. The comments, allegedly made by Robinson, included referring to himself as a “black NAZI” and expressing support for the reinstatement of slavery. Additionally, an email address linked to Robinson was reportedly found registered on Ashley Madison, a dating site for married people seeking extramarital affairs.

Robinson took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to fire back, saying, “Well, guys, the news media is at it again. My opponent is at it again. Our opponents are desperate to shift the focus from the substantive issues… to salacious tabloid trash.” Robinson dismissed the reports as an attempt to derail his campaign.

The Republican candidate is facing Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in the race, who was quick to react to the report, saying in a statement, “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be governor.” Polls show Stein with a solid lead in the race, with the most recent figures from RealClearPolitics showing Stein up over Robinson by nearly ten percentage points.