Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson is unlikely to appear at Trump's rally as he claims artificial intelligence is the trigger for the porn site scandal

North Carolina's controversial Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor, is not expected to appear alongside Donald Trump at a rally in Wilmington on Saturday. The Wilmington Star-News reported.

Robinson's absence followed a sensational report by CNN that revealed that before entering politics, he had regularly posted comments on an internet porn site in which he referred to himself as a “black Nazi” and “also a pervert.” The internet comments also reportedly revealed that Robinson enjoyed watching porn featuring transgender women, despite having publicly described gender reassignment surgery as a “vile image of rebellion glorifying Satan.”

The Republican vehemently denied making these remarks and apparently suggested that artificial intelligence was responsible.

“I'm not going to go into the details of how someone fabricated these salacious tabloid lies,” he said. “But I can tell you this: The son of a billionaire spent more than a million dollars on me using artificial intelligence, and he's determined to destroy me.”

The Independent has asked Robinson and Trump's campaign teams for comment on the rally.

Trump endorsed Robinson for governor and previously said he was like the legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “on steroids.” The Republican presidential candidate has not commented on the scandal.

Trump will appear in Wilmington on Saturday afternoon to defend North Carolina, a state he won in the last two presidential elections. Earlier this week, Senator JD Vance held a rally in Raleigh, where Robinson was also absent.

Robinson will perform later Saturday night at the Fayetteville Motor Speedway, according to The Fayetteville Observer.

Polls show Robinson trailing well behind Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate who has been popular among Trump voters.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has tried to draw a connection between Robinson and Trump. On Friday, the Harris campaign released a commercial in which Trump tells Robinson, “I think you're better than Martin Luther King.” The commercial also highlighted some of Robinson's inflammatory comments, including saying that abortion is about “killing a child because you're not responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”