There’s been a widespread national reaction to the Thursday, Sept. 19 CNN news story accusing North Carolina Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Robinson of, roughly a decade ago, posting on porn sites that he was a “Black NAZI!”, enjoyed watching transgender porn, thought Martin Luther King Jr. was “lower than a maggot,” and many other lewd and vulgar things.
The national reaction from Republicans has been mixed, with some questioning the story and others saying Robinson should get out of the race. (The deadline for doing so just passed so Robinson will be the Republican candidate.)
On Friday, Sept. 20, the Guilford County Republican Party issued a statement as to where the county party stands – which is solidly behind Robinson. It was sent out by Chris Meadows, the chairman of the county party.
“Democrat politicians and candidates resort to personal attacks on their Republican opponents when failing to make a compelling case for their policies. Unsubstantiated allegations have been directed at Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, propagated through the lap-dog media without citing any sources,” the statement begins.
Robinson maintained on Friday that the CNN story was fabricated and then “leaked” to CNN by Josh Stein, Robinson’s Democratic opponent in the North Carolina governor’s race.
Interestingly, there are rampant rumors (that the Rhino Times cannot confirm) that the information provided to CNN actually came from Republican sources in North Carolina who wanted to force Robinson to drop out of the race so he could be replaced. Even before the CNN story broke, polling suggested Robinson would lose badly in November.
“Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, instead of running on his record or agenda, has chosen to attack Lt. Governor Robinson,” the statement from the local GOP continues. “Stein’s tenure as Attorney General of North Carolina has been notably ineffective. As the epitome of white privilege, about which Democrats love to preach, Stein can’t help himself in his misguided attempt to tear down a conservative black man. Electing Mark Robinson as our next Governor would destroy the Democratic, limousine liberal narrative that they know what’s best for minorities. Stein has not presented solutions for slowing or stopping illegal immigration, reducing crime, or improving the economy of North Carolina. His inclination to criticize Lt. Governor Mark Robinson using highly questionable and unreliable ‘evidence’ indicates a lack of substantive solutions.”
Robinson said on Thursday that it is likely the purveyors of the story used Artificial Intelligence to create the illusion that he had posted those vulgar comments on porn sites and elsewhere for a four-year period about a decade ago.
CNN claims it compiled extensive and legitimate evidence for the story, which it drew from web archives of posts from 2008 to 2012, a time when Robinson wasn’t well-known publicly and not involved in politics.
CNN also claims Robinson has used the alias ‘minisoldr” on multiple social media accounts linked to him, used the same email as minisoldr, and there are specific biographical details that match Robinson with minisoldr.
CNN displayed pictures of many of the postings with its story.
The news network states “In a post in 2012, minisoldr said he served in the Army in the 1980s, during the same time period as Robinson. In his sexually graphic comments detailing watching women in the showers in 2011, minisoldr wrote that his mother worked at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Robinson’s mother worked as a custodian at North Carolina A&T State University, an HBCU located in Greensboro….. The email address associated with minisoldr on Nude Africa was also used by Robinson elsewhere online and on social media. On the commenting platform Disqus, a user who joined in April 2011 features Mark Robinson’s photo under the username minisoldr.”
CNN goes on to note that both minisoldr and Robinson posted frequently about identical topics online such as remote-controlled helicopters, an attraction to the same celebrities and that they both had the same favorite ‘Twilight Zone’ episode.
“Robinson’s Disqus page is also linked to the Black social networking site Black Planet,” CNN states. “The Web Archive shows a user named ‘minisoldr’ described themselves as 40 years old in February 2009 – the same age as Robinson at the time – and living in Greensboro, North Carolina – Robinson’s hometown.”
CNN claims Robinson has frequently used the username “minisoldr” elsewhere on the internet as well. “On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Robinson once used the minisoldr username, according to a screenshot he shared on Facebook in 2018 and data in Robinson’s old tweets.”
CNN also pointed out the unusual choice of words that both Robinson and the minisoldr online persona used on various pornographic forums. Phrases like “gag a maggot,” “dunder head,” “I don’t give a frogs ass,” and “I don’t give two shakes of it” were used both by minisoldr on the Nude Africa site and by Robinson on his personal Facebook page.
Also, CNN reported, “A YouTube playlist for a user named “minisoldr” exclusively features videos of Robinson.
On Pinterest, ‘minisoldr’ lists his name as “Mark Robinson.”
On Amazon, a user named “minisoldr” reviewed products frequently also shared by Robinson on Facebook – including reviews of remote-controlled helicopters.
Though Robinson denies any connection to the remarks posted by minisoldr, most people have found the evidence provided by CNN to be very convincing.
Some supporters of Robinson have said a better political strategy would have been to say that he was a very troubled person back then but that he later found God and became a changed man.
The chair of the Rockingham County Republican Party also came out in support of Robinson on Friday, questioning the validity of the accusations.
The Guilford County Republican Party, in the Sept. 20 statement, notes that it is important for the party to remain unified behind Robinson for the good of the state.
“The Guilford County Republican Party advocates for pragmatic, rational policies to enhance North Carolinians’ well-being,” the statement concludes. “The election of Republicans is the best solution to improve the state. Our efforts are directed at combating rising crime rates, bolstering the economy, and curtailing the influx of undocumented immigrants into our state. A cohesive Republican Party is essential to achieve these objectives, and we must be vigilant in not legitimizing unfounded claims propagated by the Democratic propaganda machinery.”
Found God? I didn’t know God was lost. The impetus of this story rests with Joshua and Anna Stein, the Democrat party, and CNN. They were out to destroy Mark Robinson, but mostly Donald Trump. It is no coincidence that CNN released the story before early voting started. Democrats want Mark Robinson associated with Trump in NC, a battleground state. Don’t let the Democrats and sleazy CNN win the race. Vote for Mark Robinson and Donald Trump. Spread the word. Black males know what a set up looks like. Vote Mark Robinson and Donald Trump.
CNN fabricate a story?
Ridiculous! Unless you count;
Persian Gulf War
Operation Tailwind
Suppression of Bahraini protests
Coverage of Margaret Thatcher’s death
Steubenville High School rape case coverage
Jon Stewart’s Crossfire appearance
Coverage of Iranian protests
Conflict with Venezuelan government
Coverage of the Cleveland kidnapping victims
Essex truck deaths reports
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
2022 Nong Bua Lamphu massacre
Israel–Hamas war
Resignation of Eason Jordan
CNN Blackmail controversy
Coverage of the January 2019 Lincoln Memorial confrontation
Coverage of the Kenosha unrest
Propaganda allegations on Expo 2020 coverage
That abbreviated list of LIES is directly from Wikipedia, the leftists favorite research site. Of course they did not mention even ONE of the countless lies they have spewed about President Trump over the years. That list would probably double the above lies by CNN. So, forgive me for doubting such a stellar, upright media organization, NOT!!
Thousands of reasons why CNN is well known as FAKE NEWS !
### 1. **Jon Stewart’s Crossfire Appearance (2004)**
– **Debunking**: This was not a case of CNN broadcasting fake news but rather an instance of Jon Stewart criticizing the style of debate on CNN’s *Crossfire* show. Stewart argued the show was contributing to toxic political discourse. It was a critique of the show’s format, not a claim that CNN was spreading misinformation.
### 2. **2022 Nong Bua Lamphu Massacre**
– **Debunking**: CNN was fined for improper entry into a crime scene in Thailand while covering the massacre. However, the reporting itself was accurate, and CNN apologized for any breach of local laws. This issue was procedural, not an instance of false reporting or fabrication.
### 3. **2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine**
– **Debunking**: CNN’s coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is aligned with most Western media outlets. Accusations of bias generally come from those who disagree with the way Western media has portrayed the conflict. However, there is no credible evidence of CNN spreading false information about the war. The reports have been largely factual and consistent with other reputable sources.
### 4. **Israel–Hamas War**
– **Debunking**: Criticisms of CNN’s coverage of the Israel–Hamas conflict come from both sides—some say CNN is too pro-Israel, while others claim it is too sympathetic to Palestinians. This suggests that the issue is more about perceived bias than fabrication or false reporting. The coverage was extensive and factual, though controversial as the conflict is highly polarizing.
### 5. **Coverage of Iranian Protests (2009)**
– **Debunking**: CNN was accused of being slow to cover the Iranian protests after the disputed 2009 election. This criticism focuses on the timing and scale of the coverage, not the accuracy of the reporting itself. CNN did cover the protests comprehensively, though perhaps not as quickly as some would have liked.
### 6. **Coverage of Margaret Thatcher’s Death (2013)**
– **Debunking**: Some critics felt that CNN’s coverage of Margaret Thatcher’s death was overly critical or unflattering. However, this is a matter of opinion rather than evidence of fake news. CNN’s coverage of public figures, particularly controversial ones like Thatcher, typically includes multiple perspectives, but no facts were fabricated.
### 7. **Conflict with Venezuelan Government**
– **Debunking**: The Venezuelan government has long accused CNN of broadcasting anti-government propaganda, but these claims come from a government known for its hostility toward independent media. CNN’s coverage of Venezuela has been critical, but there is no evidence to suggest that CNN has fabricated stories or spread false information about the country.
### 8. **Suppression of Bahraini Protests (2011)**
– **Debunking**: CNN was accused of downplaying or suppressing coverage of the Bahraini protests during the Arab Spring, particularly on CNN International. The network has denied any deliberate suppression. These accusations are debated but do not suggest that CNN aired false information—rather, the issue was with the level of emphasis placed on the protests.
### 9. **Essex Truck Deaths Reports (2019)**
– **Debunking**: Early reports indicated that the victims of the Essex truck deaths were Chinese nationals. This was later corrected when it was revealed that most of the victims were Vietnamese. CNN updated its coverage as new information emerged. This was a case of early reporting errors, not deliberate misinformation.
### 10. **Coverage of the Cleveland Kidnapping Victims (2013)**
– **Debunking**: CNN was criticized for sensationalizing the story of the Cleveland kidnapping victims, but the facts were reported accurately. The criticism was mainly about the tone and intensity of the coverage, rather than false reporting.
### 11. **Coverage of the Steubenville High School Rape Case (2013)**
– **Debunking**: CNN faced backlash for appearing too sympathetic to the convicted rapists in their coverage. The criticism focused on the tone used by the reporters, particularly in describing the effect of the convictions on the young men’s lives. However, the facts of the case were correctly reported, and there is no evidence of false news.
### 12. **Persian Gulf War (1990-1991)**
– **Debunking**: CNN’s live coverage of the Gulf War was groundbreaking at the time, but some critics claimed the network was too favorable to the U.S. government’s perspective. This is more of an accusation of bias than evidence of fake news. CNN’s reports were based on the information available at the time, and no fabrications were proven.
### 13. **Coverage of the Kenosha Unrest (2020)**
– **Debunking**: CNN’s coverage of the unrest in Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake was criticized by both sides. Some felt CNN was too sympathetic to the protesters, while others felt they downplayed the violence. These criticisms focus on perceived bias, but there’s no evidence that CNN deliberately spread false information during its coverage of the events.
### 14. **Coverage of the January 2019 Lincoln Memorial Confrontation**
– **Debunking**: CNN initially portrayed the group of students, particularly Nick Sandmann, as antagonists in the viral confrontation with a Native American elder. Later, fuller footage provided more context, and CNN settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Sandmann. While early reporting was incomplete, this was not a case of fake news but rather a failure to fully verify the context before reporting.
### 15. **CNN Blackmail Controversy (2017)**
– **Debunking**: CNN was accused of blackmailing a Reddit user who created a meme shared by President Trump. CNN tracked down the user but did not publish his identity after he apologized. Critics called this blackmail, but CNN stated they did not reveal his identity as a matter of responsible journalism. This was an ethics controversy, not a case of fake reporting.
### 16. **Resignation of Eason Jordan (2005)**
– **Debunking**: CNN’s chief news executive, Eason Jordan, resigned after suggesting that U.S. forces were deliberately targeting journalists in Iraq. His comments were highly controversial, and while he later clarified his remarks, the backlash led to his resignation. This incident did not involve the network airing fake news, but it damaged CNN’s reputation due to the implications of his statements.
### 17. **Operation Tailwind (1998)**
– **Debunking**: This is one of the most serious cases against CNN. The network aired a report claiming that U.S. forces used sarin gas on defectors during the Vietnam War in *Operation Tailwind*. After internal investigations, CNN retracted the story and acknowledged that the claims were not substantiated. Several producers were fired as a result. This is a clear example where CNN got it wrong, but the network took responsibility and retracted the false report.
By working through the list in reverse order of strength, it’s clear that most of the claims against CNN involve criticisms of tone, bias, or early reporting errors that were later corrected, rather than deliberate fabrication of news. The strongest case against CNN remains *Operation Tailwind*, where the network aired false information and had to issue a full retraction.
Great research. Sadly, conservatives don’t care. It is easier to just say CNN lies and ignore any information from them that counters the daily lies from Trump and other MAGA types.
First sign you are in a cult is that they tell you everyone else is lying. That has been Trumps strategy from day one. And it is sadly working.
I think the conservative refusal to accept the allegations as fact speaks more to people’s lack of faith in a clearly biased media than their belief that Robinson is innocent. That’s a shame. There was a time when, if the media said it, people generally accepted it as true. Nowadays, even with “evidence”, people still doubt CNN’s veracity. If only we still had a free and impartial media.
Also, the trouble with digital evidence is that it is very easy to manipulate or even manufacture outright. So the screenshot says “2013” or whatever. How are we to know that it wasn’t made last week and the date was altered? Owners of a website could easily go into their own site and plant comments with false dates, names, etc. The digital age, with deep fakes, hacks, AI, and easily falsified records, is going to be a nightmare. I can already watch celebrities say and do things they never really did. All to soon, audio and video records will be all but worthless as evidence of anything because they can be made to show anything the programmer wants it to.
To say faking that level of evidence is easy is really disingenuous. Date and time stamps on a public website are NOT easy to fake. It’s easy to fake screen shots etc using photos hop but no the actual data as that would require direct access to the data servers of the site and very detailed knowledge of the database structure. Not something a typical hack would involve except in Hollywood movies.
The denial is just more head-in-sand behavior of a party that constantly ignores the corruption and continous misinformation from within its own party.
The evidence in this case is solid. It fits the profile of a provocateur like Mark. Doesn’t really matter, he was tanking in the polls well before this story broke. At this point it is just an embarrassment for the conservative party.
If Republicans really think it all fake, then why not stand next to him at Trump rallies? Hmmmm….we know, they know it’s all true. Mark is a loser.
Note where I said, “Owners of a website could….” Read the statement and comprehend the statement before you start going off on tangents.
And sadly, just like you won’t pull the R lever because of “Orange man bad”, most republicans are not going to pull the D lever because of how far off the deep end the democrat party has gone, even if Robinson admitted to the allegations. I agree that Robinson was already losing well before this because he is too far right for a lot of people.
100% agree. Therefore, dismiss the CNN and Democrat story out of hand. Vote Mark Robinson and Donald Trump. You will not regret your vote.
I have no reason to believe anything CNN says. If they told me that last month was August, I’d look at the calendar to see.
Yeah! Ignore it. More important is protecting our pets from being eaten. They are not community livestock.
Natural selection missed one. I wonder if you look at stupid as you sound.
******
Right on, M.A. ! In fact, I’m enjoying a tasty Filet O’ Feline Sandwich right now.
Fast food places should sell them in Springfield, Ohio. They’d make a fortune.
*******
Before abandoning Mark Robinson remember this…Donald Trump has been relentlessly attacked personally, morally, and now physically with two assassination attempts.
I have no knowledge of Mark Robinson’s guilt or innocence regarding his ALLEGED remarks. I do know that the highly salacious nature of the comments give me pause. Just as the pee-pee hoax gave me pause. Because pee-pee was proved false. The Mark Robinson report comes out at a very convenient moment in our election cycle. And Conservatives, in general, will dump a candidate in a heartbeat rather than evaluate where the “report” originated.
Vote for the candidate of your choice, but vote informed.
Judging by the recent very obvious lies in the Democrats’ numerous TV commercials against Republicans, I’d bet my $$$ that these scandalous commercials against Mark Robinson are just a bigger pack of lies! Democrats have proved again and again that they have NO moral values.
And remember that Artificial intelligence can make it appear that anyone said anything. Knowing Mark as a conservative Christian and a voice for the people, I do not believe he actually said or did any of that !
The Republicans in Guilford County and NC can keep their head in the sand by denying Robinsons latest scandals. However Robinson was already in trouble due to his earlier statements on LGBT, women and Black people. He is definitely going to lose. Harris/Walz have a good chance of winning NC…
Mr. Goins, your prediction is goins, goins,gone.
Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson.
I haven’t seen much truth coming from CNN in quite a while; it has become such a cheerleader for democrats of all stripes that their “news coverage” should be considered ‘in kind’ political contributions !
First of all, thanks and congrats to Scott who has returned the Rhino to a reputable, objective journal that will present both sides of political issues without merely presenting the Trump-led GOP take without fact-checking.
For instance: “Interestingly, there are rampant rumors (that the Rhino Times cannot confirm) that the information provided to CNN actually came from Republican sources in North Carolina who wanted to force Robinson to drop out of the race so he could be replaced.”
“…most people have found the evidence provided by CNN to be very convincing.”
To the readers and writers of this page, I would ask for an explanation of the Guilford GOPs assertion that: “Electing Mark Robinson…would destroy the Democratic, limousine liberal narrative that they know what’s best for minorities.”
The Democratic ticket from the top represents middle class. Robinson represents the “filthy class,” a term he has used to describe the LGBTQ community. Where is his credible explanation for how his name, address, bio and likeness has popped up on so many porn message boards? The national GOP, led by Trump, refuse to even be seen with him. Perhaps one day the GOP will return to a credible political party with leaders like those in the past guided by principle with honesty, character and integrity.
Here’s middle class. Not the guy who promised big oil he would deliver their agenda only if they paid him a billion dollars.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3N-B0_OKkeg&si=qbCE5_HBYH01DVRW
CNN is a propaganda unit. Prima facie, any information they put out is probably at least partly & significantly false. The politics of personal destruction used to be criticized by media and Democrats in previous generations.
Sorry, I remember him. The media may be biased but this guy was a creep. Found God or not. There’s got to be a better candidate somewhere in NC. It’s not just the latest. Unpaid taxes, multiple bankruptcies, unsafe conditions in the childcare centers… All indicate a lack of respect for responsible citizenship and business operations. Write in someone else, Pat McCrory maybe….
Good job. I think you managed to copy Stein’s commercial perfectly. If you really remember him, try stating something not from the liberal hit piece commercial.
Truth hurts.
Being the egotistical self-aggrandizing pontificator that I am, I have frequently tried to find old posts that I made even a couple years ago. It is IMPOSSIBLE to find anything past a few years on EVERY website. Most are apparently scrubbed or archived and completely inaccessible. Mr. Yost, you, more than most of us know whether this is true or not.
My question is, How was this CNN ‘journalist’ able to find Lt. Governor Robinson’s posts from way back in 2008 on an obscure website called ‘Nude Africa’? And who exactly would have even thought to look on THAT site for written posts?
I’m an Independent, closer to right leaning Libertarian than anything else with a label.
The one thing I know for sure about Robinson is there’s no (D) next to his name on the ballot. That’s good enough for me this year.
I’m jumping on your train JUST SAYIN, I’m retired and my cost of living has gone up 21% in the last three and one half years. I can’t afford four more years of this.
And it will only get worse if the Democrats get control again! The NC Republican Legislature managed to prevent some of the worst policies from being implemented here.
If you don’t like NC , move to a Blue State!
Conservatives and liberals debating whether there is fire amidst all the smoke… It’s really a beautiful thing to see such passion on display and people remaining calm and collected and kind to one another. Thank you, Rhino Times for hosting this back and forth. Personally, I feel there must be some kind of fire in these woods with all this smoke drifting through the air.
You guys kill me. I’m a right leaning independent but your comments here make clear the term reactionary Republican is well deserved. The Republican Governors Association just cut Robinsons funding. His top 4 campaign staff members resigned Sunday. One wonders if the most rabid of the MAGA base would vote for a convicted pedophile rapist over a Democrat? I mean that’s the argument isn’t it…? That we conservatives are God fearing Christians defending our heritage and culture from immoral
cheats? So why are we defending this clown? The smart money dumped him this weekend. Wise up.
********
This evening (9/23) FOX8 WGHP led off their 5 O’clock report with a hit piece on Mark Robinson. It just regurgitated the allegations against him, along with a brief video of him visiting the west of their viewing area.
Their blonde bimbo reporter (Gretchen something) repeatedly stated that this is only five weeks from the election, and Katie Nordeen repeated this as the feed returned to the studio.
Today is September 23rd – – 43 days before the election. For the stupid among us – including WGHP – that is SIX weeks and one day before the election.
WGHP can’t even read a calendar correctly.
How can we trust their reporting?
Why weren’t the Democrats, and Stein, our ATTORNEY GENERAL, who is running against Robinson for Governor, looking into this information since June? They had the resources, they’ve had the time, they’ve had the motivation. Why the day before the cutoff for them to bring up something so extraordinary that he’d have to withdraw his name and the GOP would be left in a position to find a new candidate?
Just interesting to me. Stein is our ATTORNEY GENERAL. You’d think he’d have done this months ago so the GOP could choose a new candidate for him to run against. “Deep fake” indeed.
more evidence of the ‘surveillance state’ – for better or worse ?
So it seems clear that this was “leaked“ from Stein’s campaign to CNN. If this was so readily available, why did it not come up when Robinson was running for lieutenant governor? The more important question is: who do we need to be governor? Stein is to the left of Cooper. Is that what we need for the state of North Carolina? I don’t think so. I will gladly be casting my vote for Robinson for governor.
Character matters when you are getting married. When you are hiring an employee, a governor in this case, ability is what matters, not what a person may or may not have done over a decade ago. I’m voting for Robinson.
So, Robinson had offers from supporters of expert help to disprove the CNN reporting on his history with various porn sites, but refused to allow an investigation to proceed that could discredit CNN and provide strong evidence in support of his claims of defamation, libel and slander. A lawsuit that might be worth millions. Why would he do that if the allegations he so vehemently denies were false?
https://www.wral.com/amp/21638904/
The dems have fine tuned the “wrap up smear” per this X poster:
“Antti Eskola
@AnttiJEskola
·
Sep 23
With admin access to a platform/database, its easy to create this kind of a hoax, timestamps can be manufactured, etc… Even the evidence they show from platform can be just created. They are missing any real evidence like logged ip addresses with timestamps and so on.”
Why didn’t CNN report its “findings” when Mark Robinson ran for Lt. Governor? The real story is who is responsible for the premeditated CNN reporting. Pull back the layers and democrats will be found salivating and high fiving at every level. This hit piece was especially dirty because it was done for the sole purpose of taking out Mark Robinson and hurting Donald Trump’s chances in NC; hidden texts and conversations on burner phones to hide involvement by participants. The only way to counter this character assassination attempt is to vote for Mark Robinson and Donald Trump. Whatever Mark Robinson may or may not have written 12 years ago does not affect my life today. However, inflation, war mongering, and NC legislation from 2024 onward does. Vote for Mark Robinson and Donald Trump. Stein and Harris are merely long-standing politicians who are only interested in power and the perks that power provides at the expense of taxpayers.
I’m not so sure the NC GOP didn’t drop a dime on Robinson…he was losing in the polls by double digits. Stein didn’t need to expose Robinson, he exposed himself over the past 4 years and the party panicked. A palace Coup de tat is the more likely and logical scenario.