Republican Senate stalwarts expressed concern over the "unnerving" allegations against North Carolina GOP gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson, but said he "has an obligation to defend himself" and must give "more answers about it."
"The charges are beyond unnerving," Sen. Lindsey Graham told NBC's "Meet the Press," adding Robinson "has an obligation to defend himself" because "this is hanging over his campaign."
CNN reported a series of racial and sexual comments Robinson posted on the message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago.
Robinson, who would be North Carolina's first Black governor, attacked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a "black NAZI," according to the report.
"If they're true, he's unfit to serve for office," Graham said. "If they're not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.
"If I were him, I would hire me the best lawyer I could find. I'd sue the hell out of CNN."
Robinson called the report "tabloid trash" and said "salacious tabloid lies" will not force him out of the race, despite calls for him to step out.
"Look, I've seen these allegations, Jake, and they're concerning allegations," Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
"He owes the people of North Carolina more answers about it."
Cotton pivoted to CNN and liberal media's lack of desire to press Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential race.
"But we're talking about the presidential race here that matters to everyone, not just the people of one state," Cotton said. "Kamala Harris owes the American people a lot more answers."
President Donald Trump had hailed Robinson as an up-and-coming GOP force, but Cotton declined to comment on whether Trump should step away from Robinson.
"I'll leave that to President Trump, and most importantly, I'll leave it to the people of North Carolina," Cotton concluded.
Robinson did not attend Trump's Wilmington, North Carolina, campaign rally Saturday, but vows to push forward.
"We are staying in this race," Robinson said in a video posted Thursday on X. "We are in it to win it. And we know that with your help, we will.
"Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story — those are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words. You know my character."
Information from The Associated Press was used to compile this report.