CW: Discussion of slavery, sexual misconduct, anti-trans language and behavior.

Mark Robinson is North Carolina’s current lieutenant governor, and is the Republican nominee in this year’s gubernatorial race in the state. While part of the incumbent administration, polling has been leaning in favor of Robinson’s Democratic opponent, Josh Stein. And in the coming weeks, Robinson’s place in the race is likely to raise questions about the idea that all publicity is good publicity.

Before this week, Mark Robinson was already a controversial candidate. A social conservative on the face of it, for years the lieutenant governor has been spouting anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-semitic rhetoric. While he seemed to be pretty open on his views while the cameras were rolling, a new report from CNN reveals that Robinson’s private comments were so much worse.

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CNN reporters worked to track Mark Robinson’s Internet presence and found some comments that he probably wishes had stayed hidden. By tying accounts together through the use of the same email address, the same username, shared profile biographical information, and even his picture, CNN found Mark Robinson’s account on the p*rn site “Nude Africa.” Before his political career came to fruition, Robinson was worryingly active in the comment sections of the site and those comments both contradict his stated policy stances and provide a horrifying glimpse of his true world view. It’s important to note that Robinson has denied that the words CNN have attributed to him are his own, but they certainly make a compelling case that Mark Robinson and the person behind the accounts going by the name “minisoldr” are the same person.

Like so many Republican candidates, Mark Robinson has pushed anti-trans rhetoric in recent years. Earlier this year, Robinson attacked the idea of trans people using the appropriate restrooms, saying “If you’re a man on Friday night, and all the sudden Saturday [sic], you feel like a woman, and you want to go in the women’s bathroom in the mall, you will be arrested, or whatever we gotta do to you.”

Robinson’s hypocrisy in this comment is twofold. First, his own history with women’s restrooms was revealed in his comments when he spoke about being a “perv” and “peeping” on women in public gym showers by peering through a vent cover and then going back the next morning to do it again. Secondly, when it comes to trans people themselves, Robinson might want to keep them out of restrooms, but that hardly stops him from fetishizing them. Writing comments on transgender porn videos, Robinson expressed his approval saying “I like watching tr*nny on girl porn! That’s f*cking hot! It takes the man out while leaving the man in!” Robinson wrote. “And yeah I’m a ‘perv’ too!”

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Among the other comments Robinson left in the “Nude Africa” forums were a series of pro-Nazi comments. In 2010, Robinson stated “I’m a black NAZI! [sic]” He also issued a comment that he would “take Hitler over and of [sic] the sh*t in Washington right now!” And to remove any uncertainty he also advocated for the return of slavery: “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring [slavery] back. I would certainly buy a few.”

Despite all that CNN have revealed, Mark Robinson stands by his denial and swears that he will stay in the race. As his rhetoric was already driving away moderate voters and leaving the polling in Josh Stein’s favor, this will presumably push that needle further towards the Democratic ticket. However, we live in a political age where that’s a hope rather than a certainty.

(Note: while CNN’s report includes plenty of concerning quotes, they did not include the more graphic details from his comments, so this is all just the tip of the iceberg).

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