Republican gubernatorial candidate treated for burns after 'campaign incident'

Mark Robinson, the embattled Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, was treated for burns in the hospital after an “incident” at a campaign rally.

His representatives did not provide further details about the incident, but said Robinson was recovering from second-degree burns and was in good spirits after an “incident at a campaign appearance at the Mayberry Truck Show.”

This comes days after several senior aides resigned from his campaign following allegations that the candidate made racist comments on a porn website's message board more than a decade ago under the username “Black Nazi.”

Robinson, who is running to be the state's first black governor and was previously endorsed by Donald Trump, has denied the reports.

Robinson had been attending a campaign rally in Mount Airy, a city near the North Carolina-Virginia border, at the time of the most recent incident.

He was taken to hospital and treated for burn injuries. Second-degree burns are the most common type of burn. While they are not as severe as third-degree burns, they do cause pain, redness, swelling, and blistering of the skin.

Robinson's representatives said he would resume public campaigning on Saturday.

The candidate has been on the campaign trail this week, resisting pressure from state Republicans and reportedly the Trump team to withdraw from the race.

A CNN report published Sept. 19 said he posted comments on a porn site's message board more than a decade ago in which he described himself as a “black Nazi” and in one post allegedly said he favored Hitler then-President Barack Obama.

Robinson, who was elected North Carolina's first Black lieutenant governor in 2020, called the report “tabloid lies” and said those posts were not his words.

A few days after the report was released, his campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, finance director and senior adviser resigned.

Robinson previously received direct public support from Donald Trump, who had called him “Martin Luther King on steroids,” but he has not been seen with the Republican presidential nominee since the report's release.

Since then, Trump has held two rallies in North Carolina, and when asked Thursday whether he would withdraw his endorsement, he told reporters: “I don't know the situation.”

Kamala Harris' campaign also addressed the controversy surrounding Robinson's campaign and released a video. Polls have shown Harris and Trump effectively tied among likely voters in the potentially crucial swing state.