{"id":2344425,"date":"2024-09-22T11:46:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T15:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mark-robinson-should-have-chance-to-defend-himself-from-allegations-graham-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-22T11:47:01","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T15:47:01","slug":"mark-robinson-should-have-chance-to-defend-himself-from-allegations-graham-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mark-robinson-should-have-chance-to-defend-himself-from-allegations-graham-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Robinson should have chance to &#8216;defend himself&#8217; from allegations: Graham &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmark-robinson-should-have-chance-to-defend-himself-from-allegations-graham-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2344425&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a recent interview \u200cwith NBC News, \u200bSenator\u200c Lindsey Graham (R-SC) expressed his belief that North Carolina&#8217;s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Lt. Gov. Mark \u200bRobinson, should have the chance to defend himself against serious\u200d allegations. These\u2064 allegations stem from a CNN report claiming Robinson made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-move-to-force-conspiracy-theorist-marjorie-taylor-greene-off-her-committee-assignments-report\/\" title=\"Democrats Move To Force Conspiracy Theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene Off Her Committee Assignments: Report\">controversial comments<\/a> \u200bon a pornographic website\u200b between \u20632008 and \u200c2012, where he allegedly referred to himself as a &#8220;black NAZI.&#8221; Robinson has\u2063 denied these claims, asserting that they are false and fabricated.<\/p>\n<p>Graham stated that if the accusations are untrue, Robinson would \u200bhave a strong case for libel against CNN and encouraged him to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-committee-deadlocks-on-becerra-nomination\/\" title=\"Senate Committee Deadlocks on Becerra Nomination\">pursue legal action<\/a>. He\u200d emphasized that the\u200c allegations are damaging to Robinson&#8217;s campaign and indicated that he is obligated to \u2063respond to them.<\/p>\n<p>The revelations have provided a political opening for Democrats, particularly the Kamala Harris campaign, which has used the incident to \u200bhighlight ties between Robinson and former President Donald Trump. As the 2024 election\u2062 approaches, North Carolina&#8217;s political \u2063landscape appears more competitive, with polls \u200cshowing a very tight race between Trump \u200band Harris in the state.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bscandal has prompted \u2063an immediate strategic response from \u200dthe \u2064Democratic Party, indicating\u200b a potential shift in the election dynamics in North Carolina. However, Graham \u200bdid not comment on whether Trump should withdraw his endorsement of Robinson.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mark Robinson should have chance to &lsquo;defend himself&rsquo; from &lsquo;unnerving&rsquo; allegations: Graham<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1765895\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) believes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>North Carolina<\/a> Republican gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-robinson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mark Robinson<\/a> should have the opportunity to explain himself in light of a report accusing him of controversial comments on a pornographic website.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;I think what&rsquo;s going to happen here is that he deserves a chance to defend himself, Mark Robinson. The charges are beyond unnerving. If they&rsquo;re true, he&rsquo;s unfit to serve for office,&rdquo; Graham said in a Sunday interview with NBC News <em>Meet the Press<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Robinson was thrust into the spotlight on Thursday after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/09\/19\/politics\/kfile-mark-robinson-black-nazi-pro-slavery-porn-forum\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN reported<\/a> that the lieutenant governor allegedly posted a number of controversial comments on a forum of a pornographic website between 2008 and 2012, in which he<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3160257\/mark-robinson-denies-dropping-out-governors-race-alleged-porn-forum-comments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;had called himself<\/a>&nbsp;a &ldquo;black NAZI.&rdquo; He has blasted CNN for the report, calling the allegations false, and arguing the posts were artificially created. He has said he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3160257\/mark-robinson-denies-dropping-out-governors-race-alleged-porn-forum-comments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>will not drop out<\/a> of the race.<\/p>\n<p>Graham said if the allegations are not true, &ldquo;he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If I were him, I would hire me the best lawyer I could find. I&rsquo;d sue the hell out of CNN,&rdquo; Graham said, adding that the nominee &ldquo;has an obligation to defend himself&rdquo; and the allegations are &ldquo;hanging over his campaign.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">  https:\/\/twitter.com\/meetthepress\/status\/1837852667470610535?s=46&amp;t=Gepuixs8AegS3Gcy3aXO2g <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>News of Robinson&rsquo;s latest scandal sent Democrats into a tailspin, with the Harris campaign immediately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3160609\/kamala-harris-sees-opening-north-carolina-mark-robinson-fallout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>taking advantage of the situation<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3161159\/dnc-launches-ad-campaign-tying-trump-mark-robinson-cnn-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>releasing a video<\/a> that ties Robinson to former President Donald Trump. Democrats are seeing an opportunity for North Carolina to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3161460\/trump-test-north-carolina-mark-robinson-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>be a pickup <\/a>in the 2024 election, where the state&rsquo;s 16 electoral votes could make a significant effect on whether Harris or Trump wins the White House.<\/p>\n<p>An&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/president\/general\/2024\/north-carolina\/trump-vs-harris\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">average of polling&nbsp;<\/a>in the state shows that Trump is just 0.1 points ahead of Harris, 47.5% to her 47.4%, making it the closest race in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Graham did not answer host Kristen Welker when she asked whether Trump should rescind his endorsement of Robinson. Trump has a history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-faces-big-test-in-north-carolina-after-mark-robinson-controversy-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump faces big test in North Carolina after Mark Robinson controversy - Washington Examiner\">supporting controversial candidates<\/a>, including Herschel Walker in Georgia. Walker ultimately lost the race to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Larry Sabato&rsquo;s <em>Crystal Ball<\/em> newsletter held an emergency meeting shortly after the CNN report dropped, shifting the North Carolina gubernatorial race from &ldquo;lean Democratic&rdquo; to &ldquo;likely Democratic.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The South Carolina senator argued that Trump won in 2016 and 2020, while the Republican candidate for governor lost both times. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think this hurts Trump, but as to Robinson, he&rsquo;s a political zombie if he does not offer a defense to this that&rsquo;s credible,&rdquo; Graham said.<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans have commented on the allegations against Robinson. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump&rsquo;s running mate, said the claims &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3162349\/vance-responds-mark-robinson-controversy-allegations-arent-necessary-reality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>aren&rsquo;t necessarily reality<\/a>&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s up to North Carolina voters if Robinson becomes governor. Graham&rsquo;s remarks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3162153\/thom-tillis-mark-robinson-choice-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>echoed<\/a> those of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who said Robinson needs to either take accountability for the controversial statements or take &ldquo;immediate legal action.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1765895\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1765895\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asserts that North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson deserves the chance to address serious allegations regarding his past comments on a pornographic website. In an interview with NBC News&#8217; Meet the Press, Graham stated, \u201cMark Robinson should have the opportunity to defend himself. The accusations are extremely troubling; if they are true, he is unqualified for office.\u201d The controversy emerged after CNN reported that Robinson allegedly made provocative statements on a pornographic forum between 2008 and 2012, including referring to himself as a &#8220;black NAZI.&#8221; Robinson has vehemently denied these claims, labeling them as false and suggesting that the posts were fabricated. He has confirmed his intention to remain in the race.<\/p>\n<p>Graham noted that if the allegations are unfounded, Robinson could have a strong libel case against CNN and advised him to hire top legal representation. He emphasized that it is crucial for Robinson to defend himself against these claims as they loom over his campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The news of this scandal has energized Democrats, prompting the Harris campaign to release a video linking Robinson with former President Donald Trump. Democrats view this situation as an opportunity in North Carolina&#8217;s upcoming election, where its 16 electoral votes could significantly influence the presidential race outcome between Harris and Trump\u2014currently polling neck-and-neck.<\/p>\n<p>When asked whether Trump should withdraw his endorsement of Robinson due to these allegations, Graham did not respond directly. Historically, Trump has backed controversial candidates like Herschel Walker in Georgia who ultimately lost their races.<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Larry Sabato\u2019s Crystal Ball newsletter quickly reassessed North Carolina&#8217;s gubernatorial race from &#8220;lean Democratic&#8221; to &#8220;likely Democratic&#8221; following CNN&#8217;s report. Graham remarked that while Trump&#8217;s previous wins in 2016 and 2020 do not negatively impact him now, he warned that without a credible defense from Robinson regarding these allegations, he risks becoming politically irrelevant.<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans have also weighed in; Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump&#8217;s running mate choice for 2024 said voters will decide if they want Robinson as governor despite any claims against him. Similarly, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) urged Robinson either take responsibility for his statements or pursue immediate legal action<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2344426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Graham-Sep.-10-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[5609,41440,3803,36091],"class_list":["post-2344425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-allegations","tag-defend-himself","tag-graham","tag-mark-robinson"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Graham-Sep.-10-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2344425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2344426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2344425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2344425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2344425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}