Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will visit Chadbourn Friday, making in a campaign stop and an appearance at the N.C. Strawberry Festival Strawberry Encounters.
Robinson is the Republican nominee for governor, facing Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein on the November ballot. Democrat Roy Cooper is finishing his last term as governor, since term limits prohibit more than two terms in the state’s highest office.
The public is invited to a meet and greet with Robinson at McArthur Supply from 4-5:30 p.m. Hot dogs and drinks will be available. Later on Friday evening, he will be at the Strawberry Encounters dinner.
Robinson was thrust into politics after his pro-Second Amendment comments to the Greensboro City Council on April 3, 2018. His quote “I’m the majority,” became a rallying cry for conservatives across the state and country. Robinson was criticizing the council for considering controls on gun shows after a gang-related shooting at a high school in the city.
“Our rights are the ones being taken away,” Robinson told the council.
The first Black lieutenant governor in the state, Robinson grew up as one of five children with a widowed mother whom he credits with instilling a work ethic and Christian values. Robinson has been a target for Democrat politicians since his election in 2020, due to his conservative stands on issues ranging from abortion to gay rights.
In later interviews, and on social media, Robinson said he had poorly worded some social media posts, and apologized for any misunderstanding, noting that he meant modern gun confiscation prevents law abiding citizens from defending themselves, similar to Hitler’s prohibition on firearm ownership by some minority groups.
He was accused of anti-Semitism after reporters and political opponents accused him of downplaying the Holocaust. Robinson said he used a poor choice of words in the June 2021 speech at a political event.
“Here’s the thing….Whether you’re talking about Adolf Hitler, whether you’re talking about Chairman Mao, whether you’re talking about Stalin, whether you’re talking about Pol Pot, whether you’re talking about Castro in Cuba, or whether you’re talking about a dozen other despots all around the globe, it is time for us to get back and start reading some of those quotes.”
Critics immediately accused Robinson of defending Hitler and others. He said he wanted North Carolinians to understand the mindset of dictatorial governments, and so avoid the mistakes of previous generations.
Robinson led the state’s support for Israel after the Hamas War began last fall, visiting Israel while Stein, a practicing Jew, made no mention of the invasion.
The lieutenant governor earned equally adamant accolades and criticism after a June 2021 speech at a church in Seagrove.
State lawmakers were wrestling with a number of issues regarding gay rights at the time, including pressure from voters to protect children from so-called “drag queen story hours.” Robinson didn’t mince words.
“There’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. And yes, I called it filth. And if you don’t like that I called it filth, come see me and I’ll explain it to you.”
Robinson faced calls from Cooper and Stein to apologize for using “hate speech,” and State House Democrat Jeff Jackson called on Robinson to resign. Evangelicals and some hardline conservatives praised Robinson for his frank speech.
The lieutenant governor has been under fire from Cooper and Stein almost from his inauguration.
Although Cooper has made multiple speeches about history-making Blacks from North Carolina, especially during Black History Month, he has never mentioned Robinson being the first minority lieutenant governor. Stein questioned whether Robinson’s blue ribbon committee on educational bias was intended to discriminate against minorities and gays. The committee’s finding were later challenged when legislators included them as the basis for anti-bias curricula in the public schools.
State capital insiders have reported to media outlets that although Robinson is the interim governor when Cooper is out of the state, Cooper rarely if ever notifies Robinson’s office of any planned absences.
