Republicans divided in response to Mark Robinson allegations

Republicans nationwide have offered disjointed responses to the controversy swirling around North Carolina's Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, whose campaign for governor is now in free fall.

Why it matters: Last week's bombshell CNN report, which uncovered unsavory comments Robinson allegedly made as an active participant on a porn site message board, has rattled his party.

• Robinson has denied the allegations, but they've still put his fellow Republicans running for office in a tight spot: Denounce Robinson and risk alienating some of the party's base, or stay silent and potentially face criticism.

The big picture: Their dilemma has been clear in recent days, as a handful of party leaders and down-ballot candidates have spoken out against him. Others have acknowledged that the comments are problematic without pinning them on Robinson.

• "I had a [Republican] Council of State candidate text me on Thursday, saying 'I think I'm toast,'" Republican strategist Doug Heye said. "That's what the stakes are."
• Democrats, meanwhile, have pounced, moving quickly to link Trump and other Republicans to Robinson.

Driving the news: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who spoke at a fundraiser for Robinson last month, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who planned to speak at a fundraiser for him, both withdrew their support this week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Tennessean reported.

• Republican Congressman and attorney general candidate Dan Bishop, meanwhile, has given mixed signals on Robinson. He blamed Democrats for the controversy, saying they "rolled out a meticulously timed and coordinated character assassination," the Washington Post reported.
• At the same time, Bishop said in a post on X Monday that "any decisions about how to proceed in the Governor's race rest solely with Mark and are between him and the people of North Carolina."

Others have hedged, condemning the alleged comments without denouncing Robinson.

• Vice Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance said the allegations "aren't necessarily reality" and that what Robinson "said or didn't say is ultimately between him and the people of North Carolina." Vance refused to say whether he'd continue to support Robinson, per MSNBC.
• U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on NBC's "Meet the Press": "I think what's going to happen here is he deserves the chance to defend himself, Mark Robinson," Graham said. "The charges are beyond unnerving. If they're true, he is unfit to serve for office."
• North Carolina's U.S. Sen. Ted Budd has said that the allegations are "disturbing" and "concerning," but that Robinson has denied them and should prove that they're not true.
• U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, the senior senator from North Carolina, told CNN that Robinson must "provide evidence by Friday refuting the damaging information about his posts on a porn site — or the party needs to 'move on' and focus on Trump and down-ticket races."
• Brad Briner, the Republican nominee for state treasurer, said on X that Robinson should step aside if he can't put the allegations to rest "in the coming days." (The deadline to withdraw from the race was last week.)

Former President Trump and Republican candidate for North Carolina's competitive 1st Congressional District Laurie Buckhout have stayed silent.

What we're watching: Robinson is set to speak this weekend at NC Faith & Freedom's Salt & Light Conference, where Ben Carson, the Trump campaign's National Faith Chairman, and Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace will also appear.

The latest: Robinson hired a law firm to investigate where and how CNN's "false smears originated," he said in a statement Tuesday.

• "I am confident that Binnall Law Group will leave no stone unturned and enable us to use every legal means to hold CNN accountable for their lies," Robinson said.

Reality check: CNN said that it verified that Robinson made the newly unearthed comments under the username "minisoldr" through both his comments and profile, which offered details that aligned with his personal background, including his name, age, location and marriage details.

• Politico also reported Monday that the comments allegedly made by Robinson came from an IP address around where he lived at the time.

Between the lines: Robinson's campaign still has not announced staff replacements, after eight members of this campaign, including his top adviser, resigned over the weekend.

• "He didn't start off with the A team, but now we're looking at the QRS team," Heye said.
• Plus, Heye said, "He has no money."

The bottom line: Robinson's odds of winning are looking increasingly bleak, and his fellow Republicans' unwillingness to tie themselves to him seems to be evidence that they agree.