FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) 鈥� North Carolina Lt. Gov. avoided directly weighing in during a gubernatorial campaign event Saturday on a CNN report outlining evidence that he made disturbing posts on a pornography website's message board more than a decade ago.
And Robinson, a Republican who normally functions as one of Donald Trump's top surrogates in battleground North Carolina, was not mentioned by the former president and current presidential candidate during a Saturday speech elsewhere in the state that lasted just over an hour.
In his first public appearance since Thursday's Robinson spent several minutes Saturday evening speaking and leading a prayer at the Fayetteville Motor Speedway. He didn鈥檛 mention the CNN report or answer questions from reporters on hand, according to news reports.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to focus on the issues that you are concerned with,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淲hile everybody else wants to focus on the garbage, and the trash that tries to besmirch people, we鈥檙e out here telling people about what we want to do, how we want to partner with you to make this state better and help North Carolina be better.鈥�
earlier denied writing the posts, which include lewd and racist comments, saying Thursday that he wouldn鈥檛 be forced out of the race by 鈥渟alacious tabloid lies.鈥�
He directed his focus on other issues Saturday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work our butts off to make sure that we build an economy in this state that works for everybody,鈥� Robinson said.
His appearance Saturday came the same day Trump in Wilmington.
Trump鈥檚 campaign has appeared to distance itself from Robinson in the wake of the CNN reporting, which the AP has not independently verified, saying in a statement that Trump 鈥渋s focused on winning the White House and saving this country鈥� and calling North Carolina 鈥渁 vital part of that plan鈥� without mentioning Robinson.
Robinson has been a frequent presence at Trump鈥檚 North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican presidential nominee has referred to Robinson, who is Black, as 鈥淢artin Luther King on steroids鈥� and has long praised him.
Robinson has a long history of making inflammatory comments, including suggesting women who sought abortion 鈥渨eren鈥檛 responsible enough to keep your skirt down鈥� and comparing abortion to slavery.
Already before CNN鈥檚 report, Robinson was trailing in several recent polls to Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the state attorney general. Robinson has .
Stein said Sunday on CNN's 鈥淪tate of the Union鈥� that Robinson is 鈥渦tterly unqualified, unfit to be the governor of North Carolina, and we鈥檙e going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.鈥�
Polls show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a close race in North Carolina and nationally. Democrats have seized on the opportunity to highlight Trump鈥檚 ties to Robinson, with billboards showing the two together and a new ad from Harris鈥� campaign highlighting the Republican candidates鈥� ties, as well as Robinson鈥檚 support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions.
On Sunday, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said on NBC's 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� that Robinson deserves a chance to defend himself against the allegations, which Graham described as 鈥渦nnerving.鈥� He said Robinson is 鈥渁 political zombie if he does not offer a defense to this that鈥檚 credible,鈥� while arguing the issue wouldn't hurt Trump.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e true, he鈥檚 unfit to serve for office," Graham said of Robinson and the claims in the CNN report. "If they鈥檙e not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.鈥�
The Associated Press
