Embattled Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson of North Carolina – whose gubernatorial bid has been disrupted by accusations that he previously posted racist and sexually explicit comments online — was hospitalized Friday with burns, his campaign said.
Mike Lonergan, a campaign spokesman, told CBS News late Friday night that Robinson, 56, was “currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy.”
Lonergan added that Robinson was in “good spirits” but gave no further details about his condition or the circumstances leading to the injury.
A source close to the campaign also told CBS News that Robinson had been hospitalized.
This follows a CNN report last week that found Robinson posted inappropriate comments on the message board of a pornographic website between 2008 and 2012, often under the name “black NAZI.”
Since the report’s release on September 19, Robinson has seen several campaign staffers resignincluding his campaign manager, general counsel and senior counsel, chief financial officer and deputy campaign manager. It also appears he is losing support among Republican leaders.
Robinson has not appeared at the two North Carolina rallies Trump has held since the CNN report. And when asked by reporters on Thursday whether he would withdraw his support for Robinson, Trump replied: “I don’t know the situation.”
When asked Tuesday whether Republicans should cut support for Robinson’s campaign, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “It won’t surprise you that I’m glad there is no Senate race in North Carolina.”
However, Robinson has so far vowed to stay in the race.
“This is an election about policies, not personalities,” he wrote on social media on Wednesday. “This is not the time for bickering and nonsense within the parties.”
Kaia Hubbard and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.
