Current:Home > NewsSurpassing:Trump endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor and compares him to Martin Luther King Jr. -ProsperityStream Academy
Surpassing:Trump endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor and compares him to Martin Luther King Jr.
Poinbank Exchange View
Date:2025-04-09 18:01:45
RALEIGH,Surpassing N.C. (AP) — Former president Donald Trump endorsed North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson for governor on Saturday, several months after the former president pledged to do so.
At a rally at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, the former president also compared Robinson, who is Black, to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the famed civil rights leader. He referred to Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Trump said Robinson wasn’t sure how to respond when Trump compared him to the legendary civil rights leader, telling him: “I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.”
“You should like it,” Trump said.
Trump listed Robinson among several candidates that people should vote for in Tuesday’s North Carolina Republican primaries, saying “they have my complete and total endorsement.” Trump is also on the primary ballot as he seeks to all but eliminate his last remaining rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, from mathematical contention for the GOP nomination.
Despite the lack of a formal endorsement, the ex-president’s support combined with strong fundraising and popularity among the GOP’s base have helped make Robinson the GOP’s front-runner for the gubernatorial nomination.
Robinson’s primary rivals — State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham — have questioned his ability to win the general election in November, particularly in light of harsh comments on LGBTQ+ rights and other issues.
Trump called Robinson, who also spoke at Saturday’s rally, an “incredible gentleman” and “great, natural speaker.” Trump recalled, with some imprecision, how Robinson rose to fame following a 2018 speech to the Greensboro City Council in support of gun rights and police that went viral.
That led Robinson to a National Rifle Association board position and being elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for public office.
Robinson, a Greensboro native, said in a news release that he was “humbled” to have Trump’s endorsement and looked forward to working with Trump to “lead our united Republican ticket to victory in November, and get our state and country back on track.”
Voters also will choose a Democratic nominee for governor on Tuesday. The field includes Attorney General Josh Stein and former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan. Term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper endorsed Stein months ago.
State Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said the endorsement wasn’t a surprise. North Carolina doesn’t need a leader in Robinson who would “prioritize job-killing culture wars that take our state backward,” she added in a news release.
Statewide elections are usually close affairs in the nation’s ninth-largest state.
__
Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Greensboro, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
veryGood! (755)
Related
- 2024 Olympics: Gymnast Ana Barbosu Taking Social Media Break After Scoring Controversy
- Morgan Wallen Arrested After Allegedly Throwing Chair From Rooftop Bar in Nashville
- In second Texas edition, CMT Awards set pays homage to Austin landmark
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Shuffleboard
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Score 50% Off Gymshark Shirts and Shorts, 50% Off Beachwaver Rotating Curling Irons & Today’s Best Deals
- A glance at some of the legislation approved in the Maryland General Assembly
- Why Sam Hunt Is Loving Every Bit of His Life As a Dad to 2 Kids Under 2
- US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
- Lainey Wilson Reveals She Got Her Start Impersonating Miley Cyrus at Hannah Montana Parties
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Jonathan Majors faces sentencing for assault conviction that derailed Marvel star’s career
- More proof Tiger Woods is playing in 2024 Masters: He was practicing at Augusta
- Suspect indicted in death of Nebraska man who was killed and dismembered in Arizona national forest
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Jelly Roll Reveals Why His Private Plane Had to Make an Emergency Landing
- Solar eclipse 2024 live updates: See latest weather forecast, what time it hits your area
- 'NCIS: Origins' to Tiva reunited: Here's what's up as the NCISverse hits 1,000 episodes
Recommendation
2024 Olympics: Gymnast Ana Barbosu Taking Social Media Break After Scoring Controversy
What are essential oils? What a medical expert wants you to know
UConn freshman Stephon Castle makes Alabama pay for 'disrespect' during Final Four win
Trump campaign says it raised $50.5 million at Florida fundraiser
Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack
Weather is the hot topic as eclipse spectators stake out their spots in US, Mexico and Canada
Tiera Kennedy Shares “Crazy” Experience Working With Beyoncé on Cowboy Carter
Book excerpt: The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides