Harris campaign launches six-figure ad criticizing Trump’s support of Mark Robinson

The Kamala Harris campaign is launching a six-figure ad Friday attacking former President Donald Trump for his political relationship with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, following a CNN report about messages Robinson posted on a porn site surfaced Thursday.

The messages were antisemitic, racist and sexual in nature. They glorified Hitler and supported slavery.

Robinson denies the allegations.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a news briefing Thursday, "Antisemitism is never acceptable, it is wrong."

She added that elected leaders need to be really clear in calling that out.

While the campaign ad is using the moment to bring attention to Trump and his support of Robinson, the ad also will focus on Robinson's public comments on abortion. This comes as Harris plans to travel to Georgia on Friday to discuss abortion rights after ProPublica reported on the deaths of two women because of Georgia's abortion ban.

Ad features Trump calling Robinson 'outstanding'

In the new ad, the campaign will show Trump praising Robinson for being "an unbelievable lieutenant governor" and better than "Martin Luther King."

"I've been with him a lot, I've gotten to know him and he's outstanding," the commercial quotes Trump saying.

For each sentence from Trump, the ad interrupts with a statement from Robinson on abortion: "For me, there's no compromise on abortion. We could pass a bill saying you can't have an abortion in North Carolina for any reason. Abortion in this country, it's about killing a child because you aren't responsible enough to keep your skirt down."

When McClatchy interviewed voters, including Robinson supporters, earlier this year, many took issue with Robinson's latter comment.

"The split screen today for voters in this election could not be more stark: In Georgia, Vice President Harris will make a forceful and powerful case for reproductive freedom in the light of two women's preventable deaths under the state's Trump abortion ban," Harris-Walz Campaign Chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a news release to McClatchy.

"In North Carolina, Donald Trump proudly embraces Mark Robinson, and his extremist views on what women can and cannot do with their bodies. Together they would make the harsh reality women face in states like Georgia and North Carolina a nationwide nightmare," O'Malley Dillon adds.

How to respond to CNN story

North Carolina Republicans and the Trump campaign have been grappling over the past 24 hours over how to deal with Robinson as a candidate for governor.

The lieutenant governor is already trailing behind his opponent, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, by double digits in recent polls. And that was before CNN published its report on comments that Robinson made on "Nude Africa," an online porn site.

The NCGOP stood by Robinson's denial of posting on the porn forum and doubled down calling it a smear campaign from the left.

On Friday, Republican candidate for vice president, Sen. J.D. Vance posted online: "My comment on Mark Robinson is that Kamala Harris cast the deciding vote on the Inflation Explosion Act and because of that a lot of Americans can't afford groceries."

On Saturday, Trump campaigns in Wilmington. Robinson has often appeared with him at his campaign rallies in the past. The Associated Press reported that Robinson is not expected to be there Saturday.

"Trump can't run away from the truth: He stands shoulder to shoulder with Robinson and for the extreme abortion bans that are putting women's lives at risk across the country — and if they have the chance, they will go further and ban abortion across the country," O'Malley Dillon stated. "From now until Election Day, we will make sure voters don't forget that."