Politics- Kamala Harris dropped a TV ad linking Trump with North Carolina governor candidate Mark Robinson.
- Robinson allegedly posted racist, antisemitic comments on a porn website
Fewer than 24 hours after bombshell allegations dropped about North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson, Kamala Harris' campaign released an ad tying him to former President Donald Trump. The television blitz comes as Harris outspends Trump on advertising, particularly in battleground states like North Carolina.
On Thursday, CNN published an investigation alleging Robinson, who is running for governor in North Carolina, published racist, antisemitic, and explicit comments on a porn website more than a decade ago. Among other comments — some of which CNN did not publish "given their graphic nature" — Robinson referred to himself as a "black NAZI" and said "slavery is not bad."
Robinson remains in the race for governor and denies the allegations, calling them "tabloid trash."
Harris' campaign wasted no time highlighting Trump's connection to Robinson, whom he's endorsed. It has posted multiple videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the two — there's a slideshow of photos with the caption "Best friends" and a heart emoji, and the video of Trump comparing Robinson to "fine wine."
The 30-second television advertisement will start airing throughout North Carolina on Friday, CNN reported. It weaves videos of Trump praising Robinson with some of the lieutenant governor's anti-abortion statements, including a comment that women seeking abortions were not "responsible enough to keep your skirt down."
Between Labor Day and Election Day, the Harris-Walz campaign will spend $370 million on digital and television ads. In the week after the debate, they outspent the Trump-Vance team by a ratio of 20 to 1 on Facebook and Instagram ads, the New York Times reported. The disparity is particularly stark in battleground states such as North Carolina, where Harris has made inroads.
And they're not alone in the advertising effort — the Democratic National Committee is starting its own blitz linking Trump and the now-scandalized Robinson. The DNC is shelling out funds on a new digital ad and nearly a dozen billboards that connect the two men, NBC News reported. Like the TV commercial, the digital ads go live on Friday, with a focus on YouTube and Facebook.
Since entering the presidential race, Harris has been a fundraising machine. She doubled Trump's fundraising numbers in July and August, causing alarm among Republicans. As the media landscape continues to evolve, social media is emerging as an increasingly important aspect of political campaigns, as is evident in Harris' overall digital focus.
Trump has not directly addressed the allegations against Robinson, whom he once called "Martin Luther King on steroids." In a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for the former president didn't mention the lieutenant governor and instead said Trump is focused on winning North Carolina. The Trump, Harris, and Robinson campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Trump is scheduled to host a rally in the state on Saturday.
While Robinson isn't scheduled to attend as of Friday afternoon, videos of the two men together will nonetheless dot the surrounding airwaves.