Former President Trump on Saturday endorsed Republican candidate Mark Robinson for governor of North Carolina, dubbing him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Trump made the comment at a campaign rally in Greensboro, adding that Robinson, who already serves as lieutenant governor in North Carolina, didn't know how to react to the comment.
“I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you're Martin Luther King times two,” Trump told Robinson again.
“You should like it,” he added.
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Former President Trump on Saturday endorsed Republican candidate Mark Robinson for governor of North Carolina, dubbing him “Martin Luther King on steroids.” (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Robinson is the favorite to win the Republican nomination, thanks in part to endorsements from Trump and the NRA.
“What an honor to welcome President Donald Trump to my hometown of Greensboro today! I am honored to have his endorsement,” Robinson said in a statement Saturday.
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“The Democratic Party's failed Biden-Stein agenda has led our country into crisis,” he said, referring to the Democratic leader in the North Carolina gubernatorial race, Josh Stein. “We need bolder fighters like Donald Trump. I look forward to partnering with him to address the failed Biden-Stein agenda, lead our united Republican ticket to victory in November, and get our state and country back on track.”
“I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you're Martin Luther King times two,” Trump told Mark Robinson on Saturday.
Robinson took office as lieutenant governor of North Carolina in 2021, becoming the state's first Black American to serve in the position. He announced last April that he would run for governor.
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The Greensboro native burst onto the political scene in 2018 when he delivered an impassioned, viral speech about gun rights and the Second Amendment to City Hall.
Robinson, a Greensboro native, burst onto the political scene when he delivered an impassioned, viral speech about gun rights and the Second Amendment to the city council in 2018. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)
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“I am a law-abiding citizen who has never shot anyone,” Robinson said at the rally, which was viewed more than 200 million times. “Every time we have one of these shootings, no one wants to put the blame where it goes, which is at the feet of the shooter. You want to put it at my feet. You want to turn around and restrict my right.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
