Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has far more confidence in winning Black votes than Black voters have in Mark Robinson

Donald Trump may have called Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids” and “Martin Luther King times two,” but that doesn’t mean Black voters like or trust Robinson.

The lieutenant governor calls himself a “threat” to Democrats because he believes he appeals to minority voters, he said while appearing on a podcast in March.

“In my case, what [Black voters] really see is they see a candidate that is able to reach out to those folks, bring common sense solutions to the problems they face, and then they see someone who looks like them,” he said. “Ultimately what happens there is, we get into office and there’s success, and all of a sudden voting dynamics in North Carolina are changing for decades. And quite possibly, it starts across the nation.”

Unfortunately for Robinson, Black voters don’t see it that way.

According to a February Meredith Poll, only 3% of likely Black voters said they’d vote for Robinson over Democrat Josh Stein this fall. That’s a drop from last November’s Meredith Poll which showed 15% support among Black voters.

These numbers should not be a surprise to the Robinson campaign. Many voters of color have serious concerns due to Robinson’s comments about Black people and causes, his attacks on the Civil Rights Movement and his belief that Black people owe reparations.

Marcus Bass, executive director of Advance Carolina, told The News & Observer that many Black voters take issue with Robinson and his use of faith while attacking other people.

Black clergy have been talking with their members about Robinson “misusing religion to project to Black voters,” who often consider faith when voting, Bass said. 

“The narrative that Mark Robinson is painting is really not a true moral or even biblical political statement,” he said. “It is him misusing race and gaslighting the religion.”