LEESPORT, Pa. — Sen. JD Vance on Saturday reacted for the first time to the bombshell report about Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, saying that the allegations against Robinson “aren’t necessarily reality.”
“The allegations are pretty far out there, of course, but I know that allegations aren’t necessarily reality,” Vance, R-Ohio, said of Robinson’s reported comments on a porn site.
In Vance’s interview with NBC Philadelphia, he said that it is “ultimately up to Mark Robinson and North Carolina whether he’s going to be their governor and whether he wants to stay in the race.”
Robinson years ago allegedly made comments on a porn website where he called himself a “black NAZI,” expressed support for slavery and referred to Martin Luther King Jr. with a racial slur, among other remarks, according to a CNN report published Thursday
Some members of his own party have expressed concern over the allegations. The North Carolina Republican Party on Thursday issued a statement reiterating that Robinson has “categorically denied the allegations.”
Robinson has denied the report and said he will stay in the race.
When asked whether Vance believes Robinson’s denial that the comments were made by him, Vance said that the situation needed to “play out.”
“I don’t not believe him, I don’t believe him — I just think that you have to let these things sometimes play out in the court of public opinion,” Vance said. “He’s going to make whatever arguments he wants to make. I’m sure the news media and others are going to investigate these comments further.”
Vance also said that his ticket does not have plans to campaign with Robinson, who is currently North Carolina’s lieutenant governor. The vice presidential nominee is scheduled to be in North Carolina on Monday.
NBC News previously reported that there were no plans for Trump to formally withdraw his endorsement of Robinson. The former president previously heaped praise on Robinson, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
North Carolina is considered a crucial state for Republicans to win in order to secure the White House. Trump won the state narrowly in 2020, but Democrats have been ramping up resources in North Carolina in hopes of flipping it blue. Polling indicates that Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race. In the gubernatorial contest, Robinson is polling well behind his Democratic opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.
Alec Hernández contributed.