Former President Donald Trump is returning to the key battleground state of North Carolina on Saturday amid a major controversy revolving around North Carolina's Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, who the former president had previously supported and called "Martin Luther King on steroids."Robinson, the sitting Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina, allegedly posted inflammatory comments on a message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago, according to a report out Thursday from CNN.Robinson is not expected to attend Saturday's rally, though sources caution plans could always change.Trump has not given any indication that he intends to pull his endorsement of Robinson.MORE: Mark Robinson, NC GOP gubernatorial candidate, allegedly made disturbing comments on porn forum years ago: ReportThe controversy has become a new headache for Trump in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle.Trump has campaigned for Robinson multiple times this election cycle, including inviting him to speak at his rallies in North Carolina this year and hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate for a fundraiser last year.
Also, Trump's advisers are keenly aware just how important battleground North Carolina is for the former president's victory in November.People close to the former president told ABC News that they were bracing for the Robinson story on Thursday.Sources said the campaign was planning to put more distance between Trump and Robinson, but initially did not have plans to call on him to drop out.Lt.
Gov.Mark Robinson joins the stage with Donald Trump during a rally at The Farm at 95 on April 9, 2022 in Selma, North Carolina.Allison Joyce/Getty Images"President Trump's campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving this country.
North Carolina is a vital part of that plan," Trump campaign's National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News in response to allegations about Robinson.When it comes to winning...