North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson suffered second-degree burns on his hand Friday night during a campaign event in Mt. Airy. His campaign team reported that Robinson has since been released from the hospital and is expected to resume his campaign on Saturday.
CNN reports:
Lonergan added in a statement that Robinson “is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning.”
Robinson’s burns stemmed from an accident at an automotive show and no foul play was involved, a law enforcement source told CNN.
Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican nominee for governor, had made several campaign stops around the state on Friday, according to a previously provided schedule and social media posts. His final stop was the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade in Mount Airy, where the incident occurred.
The campaign has not provided any further details about the incident.
Robinson, an African American Republican candidate for governor, has faced increased calls to withdraw from the race and even resign as lieutenant governor following the resurfacing of controversial social media posts. In these posts, Robinson allegedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” admitted to watching transgender pornography, and said he preferred Adolf Hitler over then-President Barack Obama. He also criticized the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., calling him “worse than a maggot.”
Robinson has denied writing these posts, which CNN reports were made over ten years ago, but the backlash has grown. On Tuesday, Robinson said he had hired a law firm to investigate what he calls “false smears.” Despite this, several prominent Republican leaders have distanced themselves from him.
Adding to his troubles, four key staff members from Robinson’s campaign quit over the weekend, and Brian LiVecchi, Robinson’s chief of staff and general counsel, plans to resign next Tuesday, according to a close source.
More drama from Robinson will not likely be welcome from Donald Trump. Several political commentators have argued that Robinson is a major liability for Donald Trump in the swing state of North Carolina.
Polling in the Tar Heel State has indicated the race to be even.
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