Embattled North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was hospitalized Friday after an “incident” during a campaign stop at a truck show left him with burns.
“Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy,” Matt Hurley, a campaign staffer for the lieutenant governor and gubernatorial candidate, wrote on X.
“He is in good spirits,” Hurley added.
Robinson, 56, reportedly burned his hand when he leaned against a hot truck while attending the Mayberry Truck Show, according to a Washington Post reporter.
The annual event showcases hundreds of customized semi trucks and trailers.
A staffer for the lieutenant governor noted late Friday night that Robinson is “fine and home now,” according to the Washington Post reporter.
Robinson, who is running against Democrat Josh Stein for the North Carolina governorship, has come under fire in recent weeks over inflammatory comments he allegedly posted on a pornography website more than a decade ago.
Earlier this month, CNN attributed several disturbing posts on a “Nude Africa” website message board to the GOP candidate – including one in which a user with an email address linked to Robinson described himself as a “black Nazi.”
“Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it back. I would certainly buy a few,” the lieutenant governor allegedly wrote in another post, according to the outlet.
Robinson has denied making the posts and has enlisted a law firm to investigate possible legal action against CNN.
Despite his denial, several Republicans and GOP groups have distanced themselves from Robinson.
Former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Robinson in the GOP primary for governor, made no mention of the lieutenant governor during a Wilmington, NC, campaign rally over the weekend.
Robinson’s campaign has also been hit with a wave of staff departures since the porn site posts surfaced.
The latest RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Robinson trailing Stein by 10.9 percentage points less than two months out from Election Day.
