Vance Faces Boos Over Question on GOP Candidate’s ‘Black Nazi’ Remarks at Rally
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MAGA supporters erupted in boos Monday when a reporter attempted to question Sen. J.D. Vance about controversial comments made by North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The crowd at Vance’s rally showed little patience for the inquiry, which followed a bombshell report revealing that Robinson had defended slavery and referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” on a porn site’s messaging board.
Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s chief investigative reporter, tried to address the issue during the rally. “I want to ask you about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson,” Ochsner began, before being drowned out by the crowd’s boos. Despite the interruption, Ochsner pressed on, asking, “Is there something disqualifying about the comments uncovered by CNN that wasn’t disqualifying about the previous comments he made?” referring to Robinson’s past inflammatory remarks.
Vance, visibly amused by the audience’s reaction, smiled and responded, “I knew I’d get asked this.” He proceeded to downplay the controversy, stating, “What he said and didn’t say is between him and the people of North Carolina. The people of North Carolina are going to make that decision.”
While Vance acknowledged having seen some of the statements, he admitted he hadn’t reviewed them all. “Some of them are pretty gross, to put it mildly,” Vance remarked. However, he quickly pivoted to defend Robinson, saying that the lieutenant governor denied making the comments. “Mark Robinson says those statements are false. So, I think it’s up to him to make his case to the people of North Carolina,” Vance added, which was met with applause from the audience.
As The New York Times reported, Vance took the opportunity to criticize the media, blaming them for focusing on Robinson’s scandal instead of what he described as Vice President Kamala Harris’s policy failures. He linked Harris’s policies to record fentanyl deaths, unaffordable housing for young people, and the rising cost of groceries, to which the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause. “The media ought to focus on Kamala Harris and her failure,” he asserted.
Vance concluded by reiterating that the controversy surrounding Robinson was a matter for North Carolina voters. “We support them,” he said, as the audience cheered. Robinson, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, has been a rising star in the Republican Party. Trump has repeatedly praised Robinson, calling him “one of the great stars of the party,” and in March 2024, referred to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.” Despite the recent revelations, Robinson remains a significant figure in the GOP’s gubernatorial race in North Carolina.
