That is still raging in North Carolina. It is actually about more than one crazy guy. And he is definitely crazy if you read any of the things he has said. Its about more than one important swing state. Believe me, North Carolina is very important. This is a story about the corner the Republican Party has backed itself into. As im sure you have heard by now are probably wish you good on here or see. Mark robinson, the republican nominee for governor North Carolina posted a lot of Stephanie Porn say. He called himself a black Porn T and supported reinstating slavery. Thats according to a thorough report from cnn that came out last week. Now, surprise surprise, ever since then robinson has repeatedly denied making those comments. What we heard from him today is just about as trumping as you can get. We are in talks right now, everything up to legal counsel to take cnn to task for what they have done. We are going after them. We are going to go after them for what they have done. Threatening to sue a Media Organization for reporting on something you actually did. I wonder who he learned that from . That is Mark Robinsons response. When it comes to the Republican Party, not all of them but many republican leaders, we are seeing flashes of what you would expect to see in the wake of a scandal like that. His top staffers resigned in the republican Governor Association said, quote, the current media buy in North Carolina expires tomorrow and no further placements have been made. Thats all they said. Robinson is losing staff and hes not getting any more money from the republican governors association. Thats not a sign for any campaign. Therefore fitting this race for governor in North Carolina which he was already losing. Here is the thing, even as staff abandons him and money dries up, No One is picking up forcefully as to why those things are happening, even though its obvious as to whether this things are happening. There was no condemnation of antisemitism in the statements from staffers for the rga. No denouncement of the self proclaimed black Porn To comment and no denouncement of any of that from far too many leaders of the Republican Party. Donald trump has zero Self Control just spent the last few weeks waxing poetic about pets and defense the indefensible every chance he gets and he did not mention robinson once this week and during a rally in North Carolina. Is running make, j. D. Vance said something about all of this well really saying nothing at all. Do you believe those were not his post . I dont not believe in. I dont believe in. I think you have to let them play out in the court of Public Opinion. I dont not believe him. I wonder if somebody put that down as a talking point. Not to worry. J. D. Vance took another crack at it today in North Carolina. What he said or did not say is between him and the people of North Carolina. The people of North Carolina will make that decision. Ive seen the statements, ive not seen them all, some are pretty gross to put it mildly. Mark robinson says the statements are false that he didnt speak them. I think its up to Mark Robinson to make his case to the people of North Carolina that those were his statements. I will let him make that case. A Sex Scandal in North Carolina is between the Lieutenant Governor and the people of North Carolina. A Sex Scandal. It was soon take porn. There was no mention of the black Porn To stuff. It continued with Mike Johnson when asked if he supports robinson, a man who never misses a moment to talk about his faith and how important it is to him and spoken repeatedly against antisemitism said this. , quote, im not involved in the North Carolina governors race. Ive got enough on my hands. Okay. Senator Tom Cotton echoed that nonanswer answer yesterday. Do think trump should still support Mark Robinson in North Carolina . I will leave that to former President Trump and the people of North Carolina. Really . The guy applauds Mein Kampf on a Pornography Site and thats the best you can do . Lindsey graham managed to somehow outdo Tom Cotton. I think what will happen here is he deserves a chance to defend himself, Mark Robinson, the charges are beyond unnerving. If they are true, he is unfit to serve her office. If they are not true, he is the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel. I could go on but i think i made the point. We are watching with is uncharacteristic silence from trump in the cringe Worthy Caging is from the republican allies is a Pocket Veto in real time. They are not saying they do Support Robinson but they dont say they dont either. None of the leaders in the Republican Party of florida forcefully said what i think should be a layup of response to all of this. That is this, this is wrong. There is no place for bigotry, antisemitism, sexism, racism or hate her flirtation with nazis of any kind. That should not be hard to do. None of them have said that. Because i cant say that because of they say that about Mark Robinson than that to say that about Mark RobinsonDonald Trump in j. D. Vance. If they speak out about the bigotry that robinson stands for, then a speak out against the leader of their own party too. That would require a level of political courage that very few of them seem to possess. In the last few minutes we learned Brian Kemp pulled his endorsement of robinsons i guess there is that. There is so much happening today, we had to bring out the big table. Our Staff Writers for the atlantic and gretchen is a journal is a founder of lift our voices and has an amazing Initiative And Symone sanders downs in the former Chief Spokesman for Vice PresidentKamala Harris and cohost of the weekend right here on msnbc. A lot happening. I gave my take on the Mark Robinson news. Mark, you never hold back. What is all of that tell you right now about the state of the Republican Party . Here is the thing. Trump has introduced an ethic, i dont know if you call it an ethic, but whatever it is, you will deny and attack the media and claim its made up. Then you never apologize. You never show any Courage Or Step back and do the decent thing. The problem is the contagion. You have people who know otherwise who have to go on Tv And Sound like idiots. I mean, a thinking person i think thats a fair statement of what we just saw. Its not just this case. J. D. Vance having to say we made up the stories but its okay because its freedom of speech. Thinking people can actually make determinations about this and conclude these are not people really fit to serve and not answers that are acceptable to me. Thats what i think this is. Its more than whats happening. Its a contagion. Herschel walker, theres lots of examples, and their similarities free range of reasons but it feels slightly trump is at the top of the ticket and never silent about anything. Does a similar or different . Some of the anxiety you put your finger on in the republican establishment where they dont seem to know what they should say about this stems from the fact that throughout the party leaders do not know where the line is anymore. For what their base will tolerate and what they want. Part is the desensitizing effect that trump has had in the republican electorate over the last 10 years. Part of it is you go back to 2015 went wrong first came on the scene, that Republican Party was already in a state of disarray. The Tea Party upended the politics and changed the Litmus Test and a lot of republican politicians didnt know what they were supposed to say anymore to keep voters on their side. For the last nine or 10 years basically at this point they have been following trumps lead. Donald trump is not giving a clear indication of what to do with Mark Robinson so republican leaders dont know what to do about Mark Robinson. Thats where you get the confusion you show from j. D. Vance all the way down to local leaders in North Carolina. Gretchen, doesnt feel confusing. There are disagreements between the parties. Trump is the enigma so the question is, for these crazy candidates, do they win or do they lose . Most of the time like herschel walker, they have lost. Trump is teflon. He has had no repercussions for the crazy stuff he says. Robinson will likely lose as governor but what does it do to trump in North Carolina which is a bigger question. North carolina is a go incredibly important state to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. My concern Is Trump is at the top of the ballot with Kamala Harris. North carolina also has a history of a split ticket. They voted for trump last time but voted in a democratic governor. They have that history. Robinson could lose. Im not sure that means people dont still vote for trump in North Carolina. The split ticket. Its not been won in the federal level since Barack Obama will go North Carolina. North carolina is a hard state. Symone and i have spent many hours on campaign buses. Trump is spending money there. Has been there. He has traveled there and that tells you something. Harris would love to win North Carolina. Democrats would breathe a sigh of relief. What is the state of things there and for people you are talking to two gretchens point, how much of this is impacting the top of the ticket . Can i say something about what they noted. Theres a political analysis and there is a theoretical conversation. In the weeks and months after the assassination of dr. King since trump likes to talk about dr. King in relation to the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. People who were polled, Public Opinion, said the majority people in the surveys that dr. King brought the assassination upon himself. They thought he was a terrorist and antiamerican. The following year after his assassination, congress passed the fair housing act. He had pushed for it while alive was denied by some of the same people who helped pass civil rights. Why do i bring this up . For the Republican Party and elected officials, theyre concerned about whether voters are. Public opinion of their voters, but the public Opinion Isnt always right. One could argue of people had the courage within the republican Party Apparatus to park what Public Opinion is, a lot of trump voters which is not the majority of the republican Party Apparatus, perhaps things would look different. Example after example when it is matter, people have chosen not to book Donald Trump. They tucked their tail between their legs. Thats why Donald Trump loses the elections but the Mark Robinsons of the world in j. D. Vances of the world will be elected. You had a piece in the atlantic about this. When it comes to North Carolina, robinson is the setting Lieutenant Governor was at a number the things that came out in the online sites, were things that were known about him which is why people that i talked to, he said the crazy things pick people i talked to on the ground say is crazy is baked in. People voted for him anyway the last time is Lieutenant Governor. I dont know what effect i think the effect of the Campaign Staff leaving, that to me, Real Republicans who wanted to work for a potential republican governor, that can make a difference to some republican voters but lets be clear. They didnt leave because of the antisemitism. They left because of the Pornography Site. A man who is disparaging trans kids and people but apparently likes to indulge in the watching of it in his private time, hypocrite. One of the thing that might affect trump would be if they had an antiabortion would move the needle. Because they do not, im not sure that anything Mark Robinson says will change. I actually think i think there could be a reverse effect. Its rare and i understand why people are skeptical. Usually the top of the ticket is the one who has a trickle down effect. I think the fact that Mark Robinson is a much worse, weaker candidate than a typical republican on the ballot. Split Ticket Habits in North Carolina but the things he has said are already widely known in the state, but he is unpopular. Is not polling well. He is almost certainly going to lose. I think that could have an effect. Those republicans are not necessarily going to go vote for Kamala Harris. They are just not going to show up. The legislature is controlled by republicans and thats in there that could impact abortion rights. Mark, you havent weighed in. Is their impact on the top of the ticket . He was going to lose anyway. I will say is going to lose. If im wrong, they can show this clip and they will have a party. He will not win. He was not a great candidate to begin with. As mckay said, this could depress turnout. I do think, as i said before, the Kind Of Circus Act you see around trying to have republican politicians explain this away is a terrible luck. You dont have to be that bright to see whats going on here. Of course is going to be depressed. You would hope it would be. Trump has his supporters and a level,. An Abortion Thing on the Ballot Wouldve been more determinative. It doesnt help. Hold your thoughts. We are coming back. Democratic Superlawyer Marc elias and Jamie Raskin are standing by later. First harris taunts Donald Trump into a second debate and that plan involves Chicken Billboards that showed up for trump when he arrived today to do his event. Do his event. In pennsylvania where Donald Trump is holding a rally tonight, i mentioned this earlier, he was greeted with his billboards depicting him in a chicken suit. The text rich, quote, theres no debate. Donald trump is a chicken. Over the weekend, harris announced is stems from this. She accepted an invitation to debate trump on october 23. In response, trump claimed its, quote, too late to hold another debate since early voting has already begun in a handful of states which has begun in many places already. Never mind also the fact that trump debated President Biden on October 22 in 2020 and also debated that late in 2016 which was also early voting was happening. We had to give you those detail