'Black Nazi' controversy engulfs top Trump ally Mark Robinson

Former US president Donald Trump has decried anti-Semitism hours after an explosive CNN report detailed how one of his allies running for North Carolina governor made a series of racial and sexual comments on a website where he also referred to himself as a "black NAZI."

North Carolina Lt Gov Mark Robinson vowed to remain in the race despite the report, and the Trump campaign on Thursday appeared to be distancing itself from the candidate while still calling the battleground state a vital part of winning back the White House.

Trump has frequently voiced his support for Robinson, who has been considered a rising star in his party despite a history of inflammatory remarks about race and abortion.

Trump did not comment on the allegations during his Thursday address to a group of Jewish donors in Washington.

His campaign issued a statement about the CNN story that did not mention Robinson, saying instead that Trump "is focused on winning the White House and saving this country" and that North Carolina was a "vital part of that plan."

Spoiling Trump's chances in N Carolina

Robinson's reported remarks — including a 2012 comment in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to the leadership in Washington — clashed with Trump's denunciations of antisemitism in Washington and his claim that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, sympathised with enemies of Israel.

The story also could threaten Trump's chances of winning North Carolina, a key battleground state, with Robinson already running well behind his Democratic opponent in public polls.

"This story is not about the governor’s race in North Carolina. It's about the presidential race," said Paul Shumaker, a Republican pollster who's worked for Senator Thom Tillis, R-NC, and warned that Trump could risk losing a state he won in 2016 and 2020.

"The question is going to be, does Mark Robinson cost Donald Trump the White House?" Shumaker added.

After allegations against Robinson became public, a spokesman for Harris' campaign, Ammar Moussa, reposted on social media a photo of Trump and the embattled candidate. "Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem," he wrote.

The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement standing by Robinson, noting he "categorically denied the allegations made by CNN but that won't stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks."

Trump has angled to make inroads among Black voters and frequently aligned himself with Robinson along the campaign trail, which has more and more frequently taken him to North Carolina.

'Martin Luther King on steroids'

At a rally in Greensboro, he called Robinson "Martin Luther King on steroids" in reference to the civil rights leader, for his speaking ability.

Robinson has been on the trail with Trump as recently as last month when he appeared with the GOP nominee at an event in Asheboro, North Carolina.

Recent polls of North Carolina voters show Trump and Harris locked in a close race. The same polls show Democrat Josh Stein with a roughly 10-point lead over Robinson.

Both Trump and Harris, the Democratic nominee, were making appearances meant to fire up their core supporters, with Harris participating in a livestream with Oprah Winfrey.

Trump appeared on Thursday with Miriam Adelson, a co-owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

"My promise to Jewish Americans is this: With your vote, I will be your defender, your protector, and I will be the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House," Trump said during the donor event in Washington, titled "Fighting Anti-Semitism in America."

"But in all fairness, I already am," Trump added.

In his remarks, Trump criticized Harris over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel's war in Gaza.

"Kamala Harris has done absolutely nothing. She has not lifted a single finger to protect you or to protect your children," Trump said.

US handling of Gaza war

Multiple attendees at the event said they weren't familiar with the story about Robinson or declined to discuss it.

Representative Virginia Foxx, a conservative North Carolina Republican who was asked about the CNN report beforehand, told reporters she wasn't taking questions.

Harris on Thursday faced pressure from parts of her liberal base over the war.

Leaders of the Democratic protest vote movement "Uncommitted" said the group would not endorse Harris for president, but also urged supporters to vote against Trump.

The group, which opposes the Biden administration’s handling of Israel's Gaza war, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US weapons transfers to Israel.

"Uncommitted" drew hundreds of thousands of votes in this year's Democratic primaries, surfacing a rift within the party. The group has warned that some Democratic voters may stay home in November, particularly in places like Michigan.

Harris' campaign did not directly address the group’s announcement, but said in a statement that she will "continue working to bring the war in Gaza to an end in a way where Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination."