North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson was hospitalized on Friday after suffering second-degree burns at a campaign event. The incident occurred during the Mayberry Truck Show in Mount Airy, where Robinson injured his hand after leaning against a hot truck. According to his campaign’s communications director, Mike Lonergan, the lieutenant governor was treated at Northern Regional Hospital and later discharged.
“He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning,” Lonergan said in a statement.
Despite the health scare, Robinson’s campaign confirmed to NewsNation that he would be back on the road the next day, continuing his bid for the North Carolina governorship. However, this brief interruption comes amidst a larger controversy that has cast a shadow over his campaign.
In recent weeks, Robinson has faced significant criticism after CNN published a report that unearthed inflammatory comments he allegedly posted on a porn site message board over a decade ago. In these, he reportedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” and expressed a preference for Adolf Hitler over what he termed the “s‑‑‑ that’s in Washington.”
Those revelations have led to upheaval within his campaign, with several staff members resigning, and the Republican Governors Association distancing itself from him. The Association, which had initially supported Robinson’s run for governor, announced that it had no future plans to reserve advertising time on his behalf.
Robinson’s opponents and even members of his own party have urged him to address allegations directly, with some suggesting that he either provide evidence disproving the claims or step down from the race altogether. Nonetheless, the lieutenant governor has remained defiant. On Tuesday, he announced that he had hired the Binnall Law Group to investigate what he referred to as “false smears” in the report.
