Mark Robinson, who often calls abortion murder: ‘We had abortion’

North Carolina Lieutenant Republican Gov. Mark Robinson called the mass killings in the United States “karma” for “infant murder” and “coming home.” He compared reproductive rights advocates to those who fought to preserve slavery. Robinson noted that he was advised as a presidential candidate “not to say abortion is murder. What else am I supposed to call it? Abortion is murder.”

A Rolling stone A review of the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s public comments and social media posts reveals that he has called abortion murder dozens of times. Although Robinson has expressed radical views on a range of issues, his views on abortion sparked significant controversy during his last statewide bid. His Democratic opponent ran ads that packed as many of Robinson’s anti-abortion slogans as they could into a 30-second spot.

“Suppose I were governor, I had a willing legislature, we could pass a law banning abortion in North Carolina for any reason,” he says in one excerpt. In another, Robinson says, “To me, there’s no compromise on abortion, it makes no difference to me why or how that child ended up in that womb.” Elsewhere, he says, “Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers. It’s about killing a child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”

The Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, a key state in November’s presidential election, is now trying something different: campaigning on his wife’s abortion. This isn’t the first time Robinson and his wife have publicly discussed the issue, but his campaign has released an ad in which they share their experiences. In the ad, he frames his opposition to abortion as a personal matter and attempts to reframe many of his past comments on the subject.

“Thirty years ago, my wife and I made a very difficult decision. We had an abortion. It was like a deep pain between us that we never talked about,” Robinson says in a recent ad. “It’s something that stays with you forever,” his wife says. Robinson adds, “That’s why I’m keeping our current law, which has common-sense exceptions for the life of the mother, incest and rape… When I’m governor, mothers in need will be supported.”

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North Carolina bans abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions in cases of rape, incest, “life-limiting” fetal abnormalities and medical emergencies.

Robinson has previously downplayed the need for exceptions to abortion restrictions. In a 2021 speech at the North Carolina Republican Party convention, according to video obtained by Rolling stoneRobinson says, “There are some things I’m not going to back down on at all, ever, and one of those things is the unborn.” He notes that people always ask abortion opponents what they would do in the event of rape or incest, and says the argument reminds him of the one about seat belts.

“I remember this from when I was young, when we would argue about whether or not we should be required to wear seat belts, or if we should “I don’t want to wear a seat belt,” Robinson continues. “And I always remember someone saying, ‘What if I get stuck on a train track and my seat belt doesn’t come off?’ First of all, if you get stuck on a train track, that’s Darwin. That’s not my problem. That’s Darwin. You’ve seen those train tracks. If you couldn’t get over them, I can’t help you.”

He concludes: “That’s not a valid argument, you see, because in this country we’re not talking about a group of people who go to an abortion clinic because they’ve been raped or they’ve been victims of incest. We’re talking about a culture that we’ve created in this society that tells you that when you want to feel good, go ahead and lie down and do whatever you want. If you’re in trouble, you can kill somebody to get out of it. That’s not acceptable.”

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A spokesperson for Robinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a radio interview Thursday, Robinson said: “I haven’t changed my mind on abortion, but I have changed my approach to it.”

“If I’m a person who’s seen as an individual who stands on a stage and points at a young woman and says, ‘You can’t have an abortion,’ that’s not the right approach,” he said. “The right approach is to get off the stage, embrace that young woman and explain to her why I think she should choose life, and then give her that choice based on the laws that are in place. That’s why we ran this ad and why I was willing to do it. Because we believe this is a heart issue. And if we’re going to ‘win on this issue,’ we have to convince people on this issue, we have to show people that we care. Because we have to show them how deeply this affects people.”

Robinson has previously acknowledged that his wife had an abortion. In a 2022 video, he said his family was “staunchly pro-life” because of the experience: “We know what it’s like to be in this situation and we know the pain that an abortion causes. For anyone who has been through this and is carrying this burden, we want you to know that you are not alone. Furthermore, we have a Savior who forgives our sins and offers us grace. No one is perfect, but no one is too far gone to be saved.”

Tendency

Weeks earlier, Robinson had spoken at an event and repeatedly called abortion murder, calling it “an affront to the Almighty” and “a scourge upon humanity,” according to a recording viewed by Rolling stone.

In a recording of an event last October — during his campaign for governor — Robinson said people were “killing human beings in the womb, hand over fist,” claiming they cared more about protecting animals like manatees and kangaroo rats.