When Donald Trump visits North Carolina on Saturday, Robinson will not attend, according to anonymous sources for AP.
The investigation published on Thursday shows that Robinson, who is also running for governor, has among other things described himself as a "black Nazi", claimed that "slavery is not bad" and wished for slavery to be reintroduced, on a porn forum between 2008 and 2012.
The scandal has led to several Republicans distancing themselves – while Democrats are highlighting Robinson's close ties to the former president.
Donald Trump and his campaign have not commented on the scandal, but state in a statement to AP, without mentioning Robinson, that Trump "is focused on winning the White House and saving this country" – and call the state "an important part of that plan".
Republicans have won the state since 1976, with the exception of Democrat Barack Obama in 2008. Trump has won the state in both his previous campaigns, but only by 1.5 percentage points over Joe Biden in 2020. Therefore, Democrats see a win in North Carolina as possible in the autumn election.
