Mark Robinson Speaks Out After Campaign Staff Departures: ‘Ready to React’

After several top staffers resigned from North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign following a damaging CNN report revealing offensive posts on pornographic forums, the GOP candidate stated on Monday that he is prepared to continue fighting.
During a campaign event in Wilkesboro, NC, Robinson emphasized that he was not there to discuss “false lies.” Since the report’s publication on Thursday, he has denied writing the posts and insisted that he wouldn’t be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.”
In light of his staff’s departures, Robinson told local news reporters at the Wilkesboro event that he is actively seeking to hire new people who can “still take us to victory.”
“The timing doesn’t matter. We are ready to react, and we’re doing it right now,” Robinson told reporters.
He emphasized that the campaign is actively responding, including pursuing legal action, and reiterated his determination to stay focused on their mission despite recent setbacks.
“We’re in talks, including with legal counsel, to hold them accountable for what they’ve done. We have five weeks left in this race, and make no mistake, we will not let this derail us from our mission,” Robinson stated, visibly upset.
In response to the CNN report, he stated that he was taking aim at the cable network, saying, “I’m going to remain focused on those things, and you better understand, I’m coming after CNN. To put the people first, we have to concentrate on this campaign.”
The CNN report, which surfaced last Thursday, alleged that Robinson had made several inflammatory posts on an adult website’s message boards. These posts reportedly included Robinson calling himself a “black NAZI,” expressing enjoyment of transgender pornography, stating a preference for Hitler over then-President Barack Obama in 2012, and referring to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”
In the wake of the controversy, the campaign announced on Sunday that senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, the finance director, and a deputy campaign manager had all stepped down. Shortly after, Pogorzelski issued a separate statement confirming the departures of additional staff, including the deputy finance director, two political directors, and the director of operations.
Despite these significant exits, Robinson attempted to downplay the situation, stating, “I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have decided to step away and wish them well in their future endeavors.”
In a post on X, he mentioned that he plans to announce additional staff roles “soon.”
Newsweek contacted Robinson’s office via email on Monday for comment.
The controversy has also put strain on Robinson’s relationship with former President Donald Trump, who had previously been a vocal supporter.
Before Saturday, Robinson was a frequent presence at Trump’s campaign stops in North Carolina. The Republican presidential nominee has long praised Robinson, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids” for his speaking style.
However, at a recent campaign rally in Wilmington, Trump did not even mention Robinson despite the lieutenant governor’s frequent presence at past campaign events in the Tar Heel State.
Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was the only one to address the issue, telling an NBC News reporter that the allegations against Robinson were “pretty far out there” and stressing that “allegations aren’t necessarily reality.”
The reporter later asked Vance if he was “comfortable with Mark Robinson as the Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina,” to which Vance responded, “It’s ultimately up to Mark Robinson and the people of North Carolina to decide if he will be their governor and if he wants to remain in the race.”
On Sunday, Robinson remained optimistic about his chances in November against Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the sitting attorney general, even as polls indicated he is trailing Stein.
But Robinson said polls have “underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles,” and with a large portion of the electorate undecided “I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5.”
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This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.