Robinson not expected to attend Trump's North Carolina rally amid scandal: Sources

Former President Donald Trump is returning to the key battleground state of North Carolina on Saturday amid a major controversy revolving around North Carolina's Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, who the former president had previously supported and called "Martin Luther King on steroids."

Robinson, the sitting Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina, allegedly posted inflammatory comments on a message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago, according to a report out Thursday from CNN.

Robinson is not expected to attend Saturday's rally, though sources caution plans could always change. Trump has not given any indication that he intends to pull his endorsement of Robinson.

The controversy has become a new headache for Trump in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle.

Trump has campaigned for Robinson multiple times this election cycle, including inviting him to speak at his rallies in North Carolina this year and hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate for a fundraiser last year. Also, Trump's advisers are keenly aware just how important battleground North Carolina is for the former president's victory in November.

People close to the former president told ABC News that they were bracing for the Robinson story on Thursday. Sources said the campaign was planning to put more distance between Trump and Robinson, but initially did not have plans to call on him to drop out.

"President Trump's campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving this country. North Carolina is a vital part of that plan," Trump campaign's National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News in response to allegations about Robinson.

When it comes to winning North Carolina, the Trump campaign "will not take our eye off the ball," Leavitt said.

Trump has yet to make any direct comment on the Robinson controversy. His running mate Sen. JD Vance dodged reporters' questions about it on Thursday, later, in a post on X, he repeated attacks on Harris as his "comment on Mark Robinson."

Among the controversial comments Robinson allegedly made online many years ago, according to CNN's reporting, is one comment where he allegedly referred to himself as a "black NAZI!" CNN reports the comments were made by Robinson between 2008-2012 under the username "minisoldr" on "Nude Africa," a pornographic website that includes a message board.

ABC News has not confirmed this reporting or the online username alleged to be linked to him.

Robinson has denied he made the comments and claimed the allegations were "salacious tabloid lies." Defending his character, Robinson vowed to stay in the race as the deadline to drop out as a candidate in North Carolina approached on Thursday.

While Robinson's alleged past comments online have received a lot of attention, so too have Trump's past comments in support of Robinson.

"This is Martin Luther King on steroids," Trump said at a rally in March 2024 while campaigning in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Taking the stage after Robinson's speech, Trump said, "I told that to Mark. I said, 'I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.'"

Trump later said he was "outstanding" and set to "be the next governor" of North Carolina.

In December 2023, at a private Mar-a-Lago fundraiser supporting Robinson, Trump said people should "cherish" Robinson like a "fine wine."

"We have to cherish Mark. We have to cherish him. It's like a fine wine, because that's what you have, you have a fine wine," Trump said in a social media video posted by North Carolina politician Robert Ward, who attended the fundraiser.

Trump further called Robinson an "outstanding person" that he "got to know fairly quickly," asking donors gathered at his property to donate to Robinson and to get out and vote because he has a "tough opponent."

"You got to help him financially, because you all people that have a lot of money -- I know, rich as hell. So anything you were going to do, quadruple it," Trump said.

Trump campaigned with Robinson twice at his North Carolina rallies in August. In Asheville, on Aug. 14, Robinson was the final speaker of the pre-programming prior to Trump's arrival, and Trump called him a "good man" and a "fighter" in a relatively short shout out.

"I want to thank a very good man, and he's in there fighting," Trump said about Robinson. "... We know he's a fighter. The next governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson. Thanks, Mark. This is Mrs. Robinson. Thank you. They're a great, great couple. Thank you both."

In Asheboro, on Aug. 21, Robinson did not speak on stage, but Trump gave him a shout out during his speech and briefly brought him on stage.

The Harris campaign has been capitalizing on Trump and Robinson's relationship on social media, firing off a series of posts featuring Trump's praising past comments on Robinson and calling them "best friends."

On Friday, the Harris campaign released a new ad that seeks to tie Trump to Robinson, saying "they're both wrong for North Carolina."

The ad, which will air in North Carolina, features past clips of Trump praising Robinson. The 30-second spot also highlights Robinson's hard-line comments on abortion.

The ad does not include the alleged comments and conduct outlined in CNN's article.

ABC News' Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.