Mr. Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, vowed to stay in the race and sought to deny the report, which also said he had defended slavery in online posts years ago.

Robinson, a Donald Trump endorsed right-wing candidate, was reported by CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck to have called himself a, "black NAZI!," supported the reinstatement of slavery and said that he preferred the leadership of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler over then President Barack Obama in 2012,