Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson wipes sweat from his head while speaking at the North Carolina Republican Convention, Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (Woody Marshall/News & Record via The Associated Press)
(NewsNation) — In a recent campaign speech at a local church, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican candidate for governor, noted how the United States has dealt with evil in the past, saying, “Some people just have to be killed.”
Robinson, who describes himself as a MAGA Republican, delivered the speech in late June, but a video of the speech surfaced on Friday in a report by The New Republic.
“There was a time when we faced evil on the battlefield,” Robinson said during a speech at Lake Church in North Carolina, “and guess what we did? We killed the evil. We didn't argue about it, we didn't argue about it, we didn't fight about it. We killed it.”
Robinson then referenced the US response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and also America's response to the Nazis in World War II, when they “killed” evil.
“That's unfortunate,” Robinson said afterward, referring to liberals who say his comments were insensitive.
“If you want to be angry, be angry. Some people have to be killed. It's time for someone to say that. This is not a matter of revenge. It's not a matter of spite or malice. This is a matter of necessity,” he said.
He added: “There are evil people out there who are torturing, murdering, raping, committing evil acts. It's time to bring in the men in the green uniforms and let them deal with it. Or the boys in the blue uniforms and let them deal with it. We need to get back to doing our job.”
Asked for comment on Friday, Robinson campaign spokesman Michael Lonergan told NewsNation that Robinson's comments were specifically directed at historical references to Japan and the Nazis in World War II.
Lonergan did not respond to questions about his comments about the country needing to re-engage with its own challenges, instead repeating that Robinson had “literally and specifically” mentioned the Nazis and Japan in his roughly 30-minute speech, according to The New Republic.
The Rev. Cameron McGill, pastor of Lake Church, told The New Republic that both Robinson and his pastor expected scrutiny of the gubernatorial candidate's comments, but Robinson defended his comments.
“Those whom he judged to be deserving of death, no doubt. [were] “I condemn those who are trying to kill us,” Cameron said in an email to the paper, adding that Robinson “never implied the taking of innocent lives” and that the rest of the speech was “not up for debate”.
