IN NORTH CAROLINA OR OTHER
STATES, OR COULD IT BLOW OVER?
SO MANY OTHER OUTLANDISH AND
OFFENSIVE STATEMENTS OF THE
TRUMP ERROR.
ANTONIA HILTON IS ON THE GROUND
IN NORTH CAROLINA AND WITH US
IS THE STATE CAPITAL BUREAU
CHIEF AND DASHA BURNS WHO
COVERS THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN FOR
NBC NEWS.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR
STARTING US OFF.
DONALD TRUMP SET TO CAMPAIGN IN
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA AND
SOURCES US-- SOURCES ARE
TELLING US THAT HIS ALLIES ARE
CALLING ON HIM TO RESCIND HIS
ENDORSEMENT OF ROBINSON.
SO FAR HE IS DIGGING IN SAYING
HE’S NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
WHAT MORE DO YOU KNOW?
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
IT’S ALLIES, PEOPLE WITHIN HIS
CAMPAIGN AND SOURCES TELLING US
THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE
ONGOING.
ONE SOURCE WHO HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS
TELLING ME THAT TRUMP HAS BEEN
GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THIS.
AS OF NOW HE HAS NOT GOTTEN ON
BOARD WITH PULLING THAT
ENDORSEMENT.
THERE’S A POSSIBILITY HE DOES A
SORT OF HALFSTEP WHERE HE DOES
NOT NECESSARILY PULL THE
ENDORSEMENT BUT DISAVOWS THE
ACTIONS AND WHAT WE HAVE ALL
NOW SEEN IN THAT EXPLOSIVE
REPORT.
YOU’VE ALSO GOT MEMBERS OF NORTH CAROLINA SENATORS,
SENATORS FROM NORTH CAROLINA,
SAYING THAT THEY WANT HIM TO
PULL THE ENDORSEMENT ACCORDING
TO OUR SOURCES.
WE DID GET A COMMENT FROM THE
SENATOR HERE WHO SAYS THE
COMMENTS REPORTED IN THE
ARTICLE ARE DISGUSTING.
MARK ROBINSON SAYS THEY ARE NOT
FROM HIM.
HE NEEDS TO PROVE THAT TO VOTERS
. WE ARE ALSO HEARING THAT RNC
CHAIRMAN IS IN CONTACT WITH THE
FORMER PRESIDENT ALSO URGING
HIM TO PULL HIS ENDORSEMENT.
WATLEY IS OF COURSE FROM NORTH
CAROLINA SO A LOT OF PRESSURE
HERE.
THIS IS A TOUGH ONE FOR THE
FORMER PRESIDENT GIVEN THE
COMMENTS THAT YOU DISPLAYED
EARLIER.
HE DID GIVE A FULL THROATED
ENDORSEMENT TO ROBINSON AND THE
DEMOCRATS ARE SEIZING ON THAT.
>> THEY SURE ARE AND IT’S
FASCINATING TO READ THAT
STATEMENT WHERE HE SAYS HE’S
GOT TO PROVE IT.
SO CHALLENGING AND COMPLICATED TO DO PARTICULARLY IN THIS ERA
GIVEN ALL OF THE EVIDENCE IN THE
INITIAL REPORTING.
DON’T GO ANYWHERE, I’M GOING TO
COME BACK TO YOU FOR A COUPLE
OF QUESTIONS.
BUT ANTONIA LET ME GO TO YOU ON
THE GROUND IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THE DEADLINE HAS OFFICIALLY
PASSED FOR HIM TO DROP OUT OF
THE RACE.
YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE
AND GETTING REAL TIME REACTION.
WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU?
>> I’VE BEEN TALKING WITH
VOTERS, BUT ALSO WITH POLITICAL
OPERATIVES HERE AT THE STATE
LEVEL REACTING TO THIS IN REAL
TIME.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY YESTERDAY
PEOPLE ON ALL SIDES WERE
BRACING FOR THIS.
THE RUMOR HAS SPREAD ABOUT WHAT
MAY BE IN THIS REPORT SO
PREPARATIONS WERE ALREADY
UNDERWAY AND THE EFFORT TO TRY
TO GET ROBINSON TO STEP ASIDE
HAS BEEN THE TALK OF THE TOWN
HERE AND IT IS STRETCHING INTO
THE SECOND DAY.
REPUBLICANS ARE WALKING THIS
FINE LINE OF UNCERTAINTY OF HOW
TO DISAVOW THE COMMENTS BUT
POTENTIALLY KEEP ROBINSON IN
THE FOLD.
THE MAJOR CONCERN BEING THAT HE
COULD BE SEEN AS A DRAG ON THE
ENTIRE REPUBLICAN TICKET AND
THE DEMOCRATS IN MANY WAYS ARE
KIND OF GLEEFUL ABOUT THIS
CELEBRATING, ALREADY OUT WITH
THE DIGITAL ADVERTISEMENT BUT
MANY OF VOTERS DESCRIBE THIS AS A SAD SIGN OF THE TIMES.
>> YOU WOULD SEND CONSERVATIVE
CHRISTIAN VALUES BECAUSE THAT’S
REALLY HYPOCRITICAL.
>> WE FEEL CONFLICTED BECAUSE
WE FEEL BOTH PARTIES ARE MOVING
TO THE EXTREME.
MANY REPUBLICANS HAVE THEIR
MINDS MADE UP AND I’M NOT SURE
THAT’S GOING TO CHANGE.
>> I SPENT SOME TIME TALKING TO
A REPUBLICAN VOTER HERE AS WELL
WHO TOLD ME, LOOK.
HE LIKES ROBINSON’S POLICIES,
THIS IS ALL A LEGEND, AND IT
REALLY DIDN’T MAKE THAT MUCH OF
A DIFFERENCE TO HIM.
I THINK YOU MAY SEE THAT SOME
REPUBLICANS STAY VERY FIRMLY ON
HIS SIDE NO MATTER WHAT THE
REST OF THE GOP DELEGATION DOES
HERE AND BECAUSE THEY’VE MISSED
THE DEADLINE THEY SAY THEY ARE
STANDING BY THEIR GUY.
>> IT COMES AS DEMOCRATS ARE
LAUNCHING A MESSAGING CAMPAIGN,
A PUSH TO REALLY LINK TRUMP TO
ROBINSON.
TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGY INSIDE
THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN NOW.
>> EXPECT TO SEE THE CLIP OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP COMPARING
ROBINSON TO MLK. HERE LOCALLY
AND NATIONALLY, A LOT OVER THE
NEXT COMING DAYS AND WEEKS, YOU
ARE GOING TO SEE IMAGES OF THEM
APPEARING TOGETHER, PHOTOGRAPHS
OF PEOPLE AT EVENTS WITH HIM
AND ALREADY IN SOME CASES SOME
OF THE STATE LEVEL REPUBLICANS
HAVE STARTED TO-- IMAGES OF
THEMSELVES AT EVENTS WITH
ROBINSON.
I SPOKE WITH ONE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY CHAIR, THE SECOND VICE
PRAYER-- CHAIR DOCTOR KIMBERLY
HARDY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT’S
PART OF THE TRATEGY FOR THE ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN NOW.
>> ANTONIA HYLTON WITH SOME
GREAT INTERVIEWS ON THE GROUND
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU AND GET
YOUR GREAT REPORTING.
LET ME TURN NOW TO DAWN.
HE IS A SITTING ELECTED
OFFICIAL.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
WONDERING WHY IS THIS JUST
COMING TO LIGHT NOW?
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
EVOLUTION OF THIS AND THE
BROADER CONTEXT, NOT HIS FIRST
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENT.
>> EXACTLY.
HE IS THE INCUMBENT LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR, HE DID NOT GO FOR
POLITICAL OFFICE, STILL RUNNING
FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
HE WAS KIND OF A SURPRISE WHEN
HE WON THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
AND BECOMING LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR, HE IS KNOWN FOR THIS.
HE BECAME FAMOUS FROM, HE HAD A
SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING, THESE
FACEBOOK VIDEOS.
SET ALL KINDS OF CONTROVERSIAL
THINGS INCLUDING ABOUT WOMEN
AND ABORTION AND THEN HE HAD A
VIRAL SPEECH AT A CITY COUNCIL
MEETING THAT WAS PRO-GUN RIGHTS.
HE HAS SET A LOT OF INSULTING
COMMENTS ABOUT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IN
THE PAST.
IT IS MUCH WORSE, A LOT OF THE
THINGS THERE.
OF COURSE HE CALLED MARTIN
LUTHER KING A SERIES OF RACIAL
SLURS, SO IT IS A DIFFERENT
LEVEL OF IT AND EVEN THOUGH HE
IS DENYING IT, THE EVIDENCE
THAT CNN AID OUT IS, YOU KNOW,
IT’S ENOUGH THAT I THINK A LOT
OF PEOPLE BELIEVE IT AND
REPUBLICANS DON’T WANT TO GO ON
RECORD RIGHT NOW AND SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT HIM BECAUSE THEY
ARE CONNECTED TO HIM AND THEY
DON’T WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO
HIM AT ALL RIGHT NOW.
>> SO HE HAS TO MAKE SOME
MOVES.
>> WHICH TAKES ME TO MY NEXT
QUESTION.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FORMER
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
REAL JITTERS INSIDE TRUMP WORLD
THAT HE COULD BE DRAGGED DOWN
BY THIS HAS YOU ARE SAYING.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
LINK BETWEEN TRUMP AND ROBINSON.
HE HELPED ROBINSON BECOME WHO
HE IS TODAY AND ENDORSED HIM AS
WELL.
>> EXACTLY, FOR SURE.
THE REPUBLICAN STATE TREASURER
AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF ROBINSON
AND LOST TO HIM IN THE
PRIMARIES, HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY
THAT THIS IS JUST WHAT
EVERYBODY SHOULD ALREADY KNOW.
HE CALLED IT POLICING, POLICING
TAXPAYERS, POLICING DONORS AND
AS FAR AS LEAVING THE RACE IT
IS PAST THE DEADLINE AND WOULD
BE UP TO TRUMP TO ENDORSE HIM,
HELP HIM RISE TO FAME AND
WATLEY IS FROM NORTH CAROLINA
AS MENTIONED.
IF TRUMP GIVES THE MESSAGE WHEN
HE IS HERE IN WILMINGTON
TOMORROW THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE
ROBINSON ANY MORE, THAT WILL
FREE UP A LOT OF REPUBLICANS AT
THIS POINT WHO ARE MAD BUT
AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT
PUBLICLY BECAUSE THEY ARE
WORRIED ABOUT BASE VOTERS.
>> LET’S TALK BIG PICTURE ABOUT
NORTH CAROLINA POLITICS.
IS A UNIQUE STATE AND KNOWN TO
HAVE VOTED FOR A PRESIDENT OF
DIFFERENT PARTIES. THE PAST 16 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS. DO YOU THINK THIS
WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE HOW
VOTERS APPROACH HOW THEY ARE
GOING TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER OR IS
TICKET SPLITTING JUST A PART OF
WHAT HAPPENS IN NORTH CAROLINA?
>> EVEN IN THE PRIMARIES,
STATES COULD GO FOR TRUMP AND
ALSO JOSH STEIN, THE DEMOCRATIC
ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT IS
ROBINSON’S OPPONENT. ROBINSON
HAS NEVER REALLY TALKED ABOUT
POLICY AT ALL UNTIL JUST VERY
RECENTLY.
I’VE MET PEOPLE WHO ARE
SUPPORTERS OF OBAMA AND HILLARY
CLINTON AND TRUMP.
WE ARE THE STATE OF JOHN
EDWARDS AND THERE’S PLENTY OF
SCANDALS IN THE PAST BUT
ROBINSON WAS ALREADY DOWN IN
POLLS BEFORE THAT.
A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH
REPUBLICAN WOMEN VOTERS.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF COMMENTS
MADE ABOUT ABORTION, ABOUT
WOMEN IN GENERAL.
ABOUT ANYBODY.
JUST A SERIES OF INSULTS THAT
SAYS-- AND IN THE PAST, THAT’S
A TURNOFF FOR A LOT OF VOTERS
NO MATTER WHAT PARTY YOU ARE
ON.
>> IT IS GOOD TO HAVE YOUR
PERSPECTIVE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND
APPRECIATE YOUR INSIDE LOOK AT YOUR REPORTING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
DASHA LET ME GO BACK TO YOU.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
TRUMP HAS ENDORSED A PRESIDENT
THAT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED
EMBROILED.
YOU THINK ABOUT HERSCHEL WALKER
WHO RAN FOR SENATE IN GEORGIA.
ARE THEY DOWNPLAYING THIS
WITHIN THE BROADER CONTEXT?
HOW ARE THEY EXPLAINING IT?
>> THANKS TO THE GREAT
REPORTING OF OUR COLLEAGUES
INCLUDING YOURSELF, WE KNOW
THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS
RESISTANT AND HAS BEEN IN THE
PAST, USING OTHER CANDIDATES AS
AN EXAMPLE, OF LETTING SCANDALS WAY HIS DECISION OR LETTING
SCANDAL MAKE HIM CHANGE HIS
ENDORSEMENT.
HE FEELS LIKE EVEN IF IT MAY BE
A SMART DECISION TO BACK AWAY
FROM ROBINSON, THAT IT COULD
POTENTIALLY MAKE HIM LOOK WEAK
OR ANGER SOME FOLKS IN THE BASE
ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES WE
BEEN TALKING TO.
IT WOULD BE THE 1st TO PULL AN
ENDORSEMENT BASED ON THIS KIND
OF BOMBSHELL REPORT EVEN AS
STRIKING AS THIS IS.
IT SEEMS LIKE HE IS RESISTANT
TO IT AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
HAS PUT OUT A STATEMENT BUT NOT
MENTIONING ROBINSON DIRECTLY.
JUST SAID FOR NORTH CAROLINA TO WIN THE WHITE HOUSE.
WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD DIRECTLY
ON THIS BUT AS WE SAID EARLIER
IN THE SHOW HE WILL BE HERE IN
WILMINGTON FOR A RALLY
TOMORROW.
ROBINSON WILL NOT BE IN
ATTENDANCE.
WE WILL SEE, THOUGH, IF HE
MAKES ANY SORT OF STATEMENT.
>> IT’S GOING TO BE FASCINATING
TO SEE WHAT IF ANYTHING THE