Former President Donald Trump on Thursday decried antisemitism hours after an explosive CNN report detailed how one of his allies running for North Carolina governor made a series of racial and sexual comments on a website where he also referred to himself as a “black NAZI.”
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson vowed to remain in the race despite the report, and the Trump campaign appeared to be distancing itself from the candidate while still calling the battleground state a vital part to winning back the White House. Trump has frequently voiced his support for Robinson, who has been considered a rising star in his party despite a history of inflammatory remarks about race and abortion.
Trump did not comment on the allegations during his Thursday addresses to a group of Jewish donors and to the Israeli-American Council in Washington. His campaign issued a statement about the CNN story that did not mention Robinson, saying instead that Trump “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country" and that North Carolina was a “vital part of that plan.”
Robinson's reported remarks — including a 2012 comment in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to the leadership in Washington — clashed with Trump's denunciations of antisemitism in Washington and his claim that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, sympathized with enemies of Israel. The story also could threaten Trump's chances of winning North Carolina, a key battleground state, with Robinson already running well behind his Democratic opponent in public polls.
“This story is not about the governor’s race in North Carolina. It's about the presidential race," said Paul Shumaker, a Republican pollster who's worked for Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and warned that Trump could risk losing a state he won in 2016 and 2020.
“The question is going to be, does Mark Robinson cost Donald Trump the White House?” Shumaker added.
After allegations against Robinson became public, a spokesman for Harris’ campaign, Ammar Moussa, reposted on social media a photo of Trump and the embattled candidate. “Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem,” he wrote.
The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement standing by Robinson, noting he “categorically denied the allegations made by CNN but that won't stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks.”
Trump has angled to make inroads among Black voters and frequently aligned himself with Robinson along the campaign trail, which has more and more frequently taken him to North Carolina. At a rally in Greensboro, he called Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids” in reference to the civil rights leader, for his speaking ability.
Robinson has been on the trail with Trump as recently as last month, when he appeared with the GOP nominee at an event in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Recent polls of North Carolina voters show Trump and Harris locked in a close race. The same polls show Democrat Josh Stein with a roughly 10-point lead over Robinson.
Trump recounts his White House record to Jewish supporters
Both Trump and Harris, the Democratic nominee, were making appearances meant to fire up their core supporters, with Harris participating in a livestream with Oprah Winfrey.
Trump appeared Thursday with Miriam Adelson, a co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
“My promise to Jewish Americans is this: With your vote, I will be your defender, your protector, and I will be the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House,” Trump said during the donor event in Washington, titled “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America.”
“But in all fairness, I already am,” Trump added.
Trump also has been criticized for his association with extremists who spew antisemitic rhetoric such as far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. And when former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke endorsed Trump in 2016, Trump responded in a CNN interview that he knew “nothing about David Duke, I know nothing about white supremacists.”
But during his four years in office Trump approved a series of policy changes long sought by many advocates of Israel, such as moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights.
In his remarks, Trump criticized Harris over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and for what he called antisemitic protests on college campuses and elsewhere.
“Kamala Harris has done absolutely nothing. She has not lifted a single finger to protect you or to protect your children,” Trump said. He also repeated a talking point that Jewish voters who vote for Democrats “should have their head examined.”
Multiple attendees at the event said they weren't familiar with the story about Robinson or declined to discuss it. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a conservative North Carolina Republican who was asked about the CNN report beforehand, told reporters she wasn't taking questions.
Later Thursday, Trump spoke at the Israeli-American Council National Summit to honor the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and painted a dire future for the nation if Harris were to be elected.
“Israel will not exist within two years if she becomes president,” he told the crowd, also adding that if he loses the presidential election to her on Nov. 5 “the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that.”
Harris is denied an endorsement by liberals who want a ceasefire
Harris on Thursday faced pressure from parts of her liberal base over the war. Leaders of the Democratic protest vote movement “Uncommitted" said the group would not endorse Harris for president, but also urged supporters to vote against Trump. The group, which opposes the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.
“Uncommitted” drew hundreds of thousands of votes in this year's Democratic primaries, surfacing a rift within the party. The group has warned that some Democratic voters may stay home in November, particularly in places like Michigan.
Harris’ campaign did not directly address the group’s announcement, but said in a statement that she will “continue working to bring the war in Gaza to an end in a way where Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
© 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
54 Comments
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funkymofo
More senile drivel.
Cards fan
Antisemitism? He straight up called himself a Black Nazi.
I hope he takes Trump down with him in North Carolina.
dagon
Yes, a lot of that online posting will come back to bite you and Robinson is not the Teflon Don. Pretty sure he is going down. AS the rest of MAGA should.
It is foul how the right misuses Dr. King's legacy, since he called out the socialism for the rich of which Trump is an exemplar and the constant red-baiting and racial demonization Trump does to Harris.
https://jacobin.com/2023/04/martin-luther-king-jr-mlk-socialism-class-racial-justice-civil-rights-movement
Strangerland
Well, North Carolina will have a Democrat governor.
wallace
"North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Mark Robinson, referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” on a pornography website’s message board, according to a new CNN report about the current lieutenant governor who has already been marked by scandal and controversial comments."
Doesn't he know the Nazis killed Blacks in their ovens? Thousands of US Black servicemen were killed fighting the Nazis. Does he have a Confederate flag in his garden?
Moonraker
Trump's spinning plates are getting wobbly and in danger of crashing down soon.
itsonlyrocknroll
Can Donald Trump turn water into wine, at the same time "walk on water" to find his golf balls?
Can Donald Trump feed America with five loaves and two fishes, cure the infirm, make the blind to see?
Nope.
Donald Trump is not going to politically diplomatically perform miracles.
Donald Trump will offer the policies that brings hope, deregulation, investment, jobs,.
For parents, the right to decided how there children are educated, taught in their schools.
If you have to, hold your nose, vote for Trump.
The alternative is terrifying, view Kamala Oprah Winfrey horror story
Unite for America Rally with Vice President Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZasBoVhuUA
The word salad repetition is obvious, it is offensive
Jimizo
Sounds like a real charmer.
MAGA types posting trash under different names isn’t anything new.
I wonder who they get this idea that it’s okay to let your standards slip to pathetic levels from? Who could be the role model?
A mystery indeed.
Strangerland
All that joy can only lead to DOOM right?
Cards fan
No thanks. As an American, I'll always side against the Nazis and their backers like Trump.
itsonlyrocknroll
Strangerland
Please view the Harris/Oprah link I have posted....
I don't believe for one moment you believe this fakery.
Strangerland
But, but, DOOM!!
Jimizo
Harris can drivel on.
Trump is in severe decline. He doesn’t understand the question half of the time these days.
Word salad v senility?
Strangerland
I watched the debate. And trump has made more word salad than all the Sizzlers in America.
bass4funk
If the left get ticked off like this, it means he must be doing something good again.
lincolnman
Oh indeed...just look at his record...
Talking about his Trump Org "green eye shade wearing Jewish accountants"...
Saying some Neo-Nazis are "fine people"...
Breaking bread at MAL with dinner guest Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes...
Interesting way of fighting anti-Semitism....
konjo4u
He can be so forgiving to the vilest people and refuse to turn the cheek when it doesn't cost him a thing. He has never once "turned the cheek" as Christians preach that Jesus teaches them to do.
Some dude
If you plan to vote for Trump, you're a fool. And that applies whether you're black, white, Jewish, not Jewish, religious, not religious, whatever.
If you can't see through him, you're the mark, and he will stiff you as soon as you've served his purpose.
If someone votes for Trump and then starts whining when Trump inevitably turns on them, they deserve nothing less than to be laughed at. Openly and often.
wallace
Mark Robinson claiming to be a Black Nazi would be the same oxymoron as him claiming to be a White Supramatist which the Nazis were.
itsonlyrocknroll
Jimizo, Trump age is against him, he will not persuade Ukraine/Russia to end this war in Europe.
What is so concerning about Kamala Harris campaign is the manner in which Harris is hiding form scrutiny.
Socialism is to inform an electorate that change will never provide a given, it is to also to inform that redistribution of wealth will take place.
It is not a game of hide and seek.
Yet Kamala Harris is evasive, refuses to stand by her ideology.
bass4funk
Yes
and?
We looked into these claims, and found that while Trump did say there were "very fine people on both sides," meaning both the protesters and the counterprotesters, he also condemned neo-Nazis and white nationalists outright and said he was specifically referring to those who were there only to participate in the statue protest. We found the original clip on C-SPAN, and transcribed the relevant section below:
**Reporter:** Mr. President, are you putting what you're calling the alt-left and white supremacists on the same moral plane?
**Trump:** I am not putting anybody on a moral plane, what I'm saying is this: You had a group on one side and a group on the other, and they came at each other with clubs and it was vicious and horrible and it was a horrible thing to watch, but there is another side. There was a group on this side, you can call them the left. You've just called them the left, that came violently attacking the other group. So you can say what you want, but that's the way it is.
**Reporter:** You said there was hatred and violence on both sides?
**Trump:** I do think there is blame — yes, I think there is blame on both sides. You look at, you look at both sides. I think there's blame on both sides, and I have no doubt about it, and you don't have any doubt about it either. And, and, and, and if you reported it accurately, you would say.
Reporter:**** The neo-Nazis started this thing. They showed up in Charlottesville.
Trump:** Excuse me, they didn't put themselves down as neo-Nazis, and you had some very bad people in that group. But you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group — excuse me, excuse me, I saw the same pictures as you did — you had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name. George Washington was a slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? So will George Washington now lose his status, are we gonna take down — excuse me — are we gonna take down statues of George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think of Thomas Jefferson? You like him? Okay good. Are we gonna take down the statue? Cause he was a major slaveowner. Now are we gonna take down his statue? So you know what? It's fine. You're changing history, you're changing culture, and you had people — and I'm not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned totally.**
Full context always matters.
This administration broke bread with Al Sharpton, wonder how many Jews like him?
Well, he’s doing it and the left won’t help the Jewish students on our college campuses, so….
bass4funk
Yup!
Over voting for the Marxist woman, yup!
Yes, a very smart patriot at that.
I don’t think I have to.
patkim
So Trump is a friend of the Jewish, but at the same time, a friend of white supremacist groups. He's against the suppression of Jews, but doesn't care about hatred against Blacks and other minorities. I see. He really is one to talk out of both sides of his mouth. How can anyone trust what he says? His sidekick Vance isn't any better either.
wallace
There has never been a single socialist policy in Congress.
Blacklabel
Oh so now we see the CNN backed plan, it’s wasn’t actually about Mark Robinson at all.
bass4funk
Bernie Sanders
wallace
bass4funk
There has never been a single socialist policy in Congress.
Reading problems?
What Bernie Sanders's socialist policies were passed in Congress. Sanders is a senator. Policies need to start in the House of Representatives.
wallace
The United States of America has been capitalist since the day it was founded some 250 years ago.
Underworld
Blacklabel
Yeah. Yeah, it was.
Doesn't matter. He's toast in NC.
dagon
No wonder MAGA ha none except Trump's delusions and MAGA
Cards fan
Weird how Trump keeps getting caught hanging around far right extremists. Wonder why that is? lol
And, why is he such a bad judge of character? He called Mark Robinson MLK on steroids. lmao
Some dude
I can't help your lack of understanding of socialism, Marxism, and communism. A few hours with a Google search could help you.
Years ago I got to know some people who happened to be scientologists. That set me off on a journey to learn about the whole thing, and one of the many creepy-fascinating things I learned is that they used to have some kind of software which aimed to ensure the user never saw any negative press about Scientology.
This is probably how MAGA sees the internet, only they don't need software. Their minds are so addled that they simply refuse to see anything critical of Trump / the republicans. Black GOP guy calls himself a "black Nazi" and his name shows up on unsavoury sites? Never saw it. Trump suggests sticking UV light up your butt? Never saw it!
BB
As the darling of the Proud Boys his pledges come across as dishonest. ...as usual.
Some dude
Liberals refuse to see anything good with Trump
Again with the liberal obsession. I've told you several times before that I'm not even America. But I'll say something positive about him. When in office, he signed a law against animal cruelty. I think that was a good thing to do. However, his faults outweigh that action by a mile.
If he didn’t then he didn’t
And if he transpires that he did it, you won't care, will you? You'll literally forgive anything a republican does.
Liz Warren claims to be Cherokee. Lol
What does Liz Warren have to do with Trump suggesting sticking UV light up your butt?
I know that MAGA people have the attention span of a goldfish and the reasoning skills of a newborn, but you're going to have to do better than that.
DaDude
Just a darn shame those crying racism proudly voted in a racist POTUS in 2020.
Cards fan
Sorry mate, we're not interested in silly deflections from the fact that Mark Robinson is a self-confessed "black Nazi" and Trump still supports him.
Absolutely hilarious the jam the GOP has itself in.
Strangerland
The Republicans invented hypocrisy.
Remember, your guy is in cognitive decline, which you criticized with Biden.
Some dude
No, it is not my state, so NO, I don't care.
There we have it. A flat out acknowledgement that a republican candidate can call himself a "black nazi". On a p**n forum. And you're cool with that.
Were you not talking about outrageous claims? Well, there you go.
I don't think anyone has died from Liz Warren stating things about her ancestry. I can all but guarantee that some MAGA mope tried flashing UV up his rear, and the only thing he would have found is his speech center.
Because it's mostly liberals that have a problem with Trump.
Thank you Captain Obvious. That's about as revolutionary as saying "it's mostly Jewish people who have a problem with Hitler".
Ken
Deflecting is for dudes who have yet to grow a pair. I have yet to understand how people can't see how racist Trump and his followers are. At this point it's like having a Nazi brand on your forehead
Norm
”Bernie Sanders” is a policy?
Some dude
I never said that, I said, it is not my state. I can't vote in his state, so no, I don't care.
OK, so if the republican candidate in your state pulled a similar stunt, you'd condemn it?
I guess it goes without saying that if a democrat did the same, you'd be all over it regardless of what state they were from.
Guy Gin and tonic
wallace
Do the American Jews even want to be supported by a felon?
Blacklabel
Now the left is trying to blame Trump for what a strong proud Black man supposedly posted 15 years ago according to fake news CNN?
isn’t Trump “raycist” today? Why would be be responsible for this man’s words? That Black man speaks for himself.
Cards fan
I don't think a single person here is blaming Trump. It's very funny he keeps surrounding himself with these kinds of people. How is he so bad at judging character? How does he keep attracting these nutjobs, and why won't he denounce them?
wallace
bass4funk
”Bernie Sanders” is a policy?
I did not state that. I said there has never been a single socialist policy passed in Congress in its 235-year history.
Blacklabel
How does the falsehood of “Trump is a racist” correlate with absurdly of “Trump is responsible for the content of this Black man’s posts?”
wallace
It would appear Trump is a very bad judge of character. So many Laura Loomers.
Ken
Do all Trump supporters use Truth social because your words sounds just outrageous as Trump himself, when the next election cycle comes are you going to support the loudest and rudest Rep there is to fill that empty void in your soul?
Cards fan
1) Trump is very racist: See his comments about Haitian immigrants for just the very latest example of his racism.
2) No one is saying he's responsible for them, but if he's not racist, why won't he retract his endorsement or criticize Robinson's comments? I think it's because he is racist, and that's also why he keeps finding himself surrounded by these types.
Blacklabel
No one blaming Trump!
yet “he” “he” “he” “he” isn’t referring to Mark Robinson but are unfounded criticisms of….Donald Trump, your next president.
Ken
Facts, Not a fan of Vance but he at least make statements saying what someone like Laura Loomer said doesn't reflect his values. I wonder if it is because his wife hates him more and more after seeing how the Republican party is or if he feels sorry for Republicans because they made the wrong choice in choosing Trump. The world may never know
Cards fan
lmao criticizing Trump for his terrible lack of judgement isn't blaming him.
Oh no! Don't anyone critcize his terrible lack of judgement. We don't want that.
thanks for the chuckle.
Blacklabel
Then when he does? “He’s a racist for criticizing and not endorsing the Black guy. if that guy was white he wouldn’t have said anything!”
you guys just love it both ways. Bi-liberals getting it from the front and the back.
Some dude
It would appear Trump is a very bad judge of character. So many Laura Loomers.
This is true, but only to people who consider Laura Loomer to be a vacant, evil harpy who will literally say anything in order to get ahead (and who will modify her appearance to the point that it's evident she suffers from extreme self-hate).
Unfortunately, there's a sizeable number of people in the US who think she's great for that very reason.
In some ways, Trump IS the president that the average American deserves.
Ken
We will cross that bridge when we see it. The context of what he said makes it justified, you're not in kindergarten bro we don't need to spell out something that should be common sense for most adults
Cards fan
lol No. Not at all, but you and I know he won't be withdrawing his endorsement, because he is racist.
Yes. We just love it both ways in your head.
What are you talking about?
Ken
The thing about the people in Trumps circle is we don't have to dig far to find dirt on them, the type of people he attracts makes it so easy to see their moral compass in broad daylight
Moonraker
"It's very funny he keeps surrounding himself with these kinds of people. How is he so bad at judging character? How does he keep attracting these nutjobs, and why won't he denounce them?"
It's a mystery all round because, on the other hand, why are Trump's supporters such a bad judge of character too? It's hard to believe they would vote for someone they would run out of their group as a blowhard and big head. Nuts voting for a nut who appoints and supports nuts. Life must be eternally unpredictable to them, and will be even more so when they realise how much they are just used and spat out by somebody who does that too.
Blacklabel
Yeah, “bro”.
Trump bears no responsibility for 15 year old supposed posts by a Black man.
John
Trump is a racist scumbag as his latest but by no means only scandal regarding race proves.
Ken
I think we broke him, he used AI for a comeback because he is waiting on Elon to send him a download of his next set of lines