Source: CBS 17
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, is addressing recent ads that highlight his statements on abortion, including remarks about women not being “responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”
A video obtained by CBS 17 from a recent fundraiser shows Robinson responding to questions about this and other controversies.
“That was about a 30-minute, 20-minute talk where we discussed the irresponsibility of young men being paramount in that situation,” Robinson said. “That’s why they only play a short clip. They try to make it look as bad as possible because I truly oppose abortion as birth control. That is what we were referring to.”
Robinson also commented on the law passed by Republicans in the state legislature last year, which restricts abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, Robinson has stated that the “next goal” should be restrictions at six weeks, often before most people even know they are pregnant.
However, it is important to note that Robinson has said that if he were governor and had a “willing legislature” we could “pass a bill right now that says you can’t get an abortion in North Carolina for any reason.”
Robinson also mentioned that as governor, he would collaborate with crisis pregnancy centers, adding that he believes the issue is “not a legislative fight” but “a spiritual battle.”
“This is a spiritual battle,” he said. “If the churches would do their part, then maybe we could get something done about it.”
Robinson’s comments have been featured in ads from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee for governor. Democrats have highlighted past statements where Robinson called abortion “murder.”
In response to the video, Stein campaign spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder asked, “In what context does Mark Robinson think blaming abortion on women not being ‘responsible enough to keep their skirt down’ is appropriate?”