Former President Donald Trump returns to the key swing state of North Carolina on Saturday amid major controversy surrounding Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, whom the former president previously endorsed and called “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

Robinson, the incumbent Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina, is accused of posting inflammatory comments on a porn website’s message board more than a decade ago, according to a CNN report published Thursday.

Robinson is not expected to attend Saturday’s rally, but sources warn that plans could change at any time. Trump has given no indication that he intends to withdraw his support for Robinson.

The controversy has become a new problem for Trump as he heads into the home stretch of the 2024 election cycle.

Trump has made several campaigning pitches for Robinson this election cycle, including inviting him to speak at his rallies in North Carolina this year and hosting him for a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago estate last year. Trump’s advisers are also well aware of how important battleground North Carolina is to the former president’s victory in November.

People close to the former president told ABC News they were preparing for the Robinson story on Thursday. Sources said the campaign planned to create more distance between Trump and Robinson, but there were no immediate plans to ask him to drop out.

“President Trump’s campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving this country. North Carolina is an essential part of that plan,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News in response to the allegations against Robinson.

When it comes to winning North Carolina, the Trump team “will not lose sight of our goals,” Leavitt said.

Trump has not yet commented directly on the Robinson controversy. His running mate, Senator JD Vance, dodged reporters’ questions on Thursday and later repeated the attacks on Harris in a post on X as his “commentary on Mark Robinson.”

Among the controversial comments Robinson is alleged to have made online many years ago, according to CNN reporting, is one in which he allegedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI.” CNN reports that Robinson made these comments between 2008 and 2012 under the username “minisoldr” on “Nude Africa,” a pornographic website and message board.

ABC News has not confirmed this report or the online username allegedly associated with it.

Robinson denied making the comments and claimed the allegations were “offensive tabloid lies.” Robinson defended his character and vowed to stay in the race as Thursday’s deadline to withdraw as a candidate in North Carolina approached.

While Robinson’s alleged past comments received widespread attention online, so did Trump’s past comments supporting Robinson.

“This is Martin Luther King on steroids,” Trump said at a March 2024 rally during his campaign in Greensboro, North Carolina.

As he took the stage after Robinson’s speech, Trump said, “I told Mark that. I said, ‘I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you’re Martin Luther King times two.'”

Trump later said he was “outstanding” and would be “the next governor” of North Carolina.

In December 2023, at a private fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago in favor of Robinson, Trump said that people should “cherish Robinson like a fine wine.”

“We have to appreciate Mark. We have to appreciate him. He’s like a fine wine, because that’s what you have, you have a fine wine,” Trump said in a social media video posted by North Carolina politician Robert Ward, who attended the fundraiser.

Trump also called Robinson an “outstanding personality” whom he “got to know pretty quickly” and urged donors gathered on his property to donate to Robinson and vote because he faces a “tough opponent.”

“You have to help him financially because you’re all people who have a lot of money – I know, filthy rich. So whatever you would do, quadruple it,” Trump said.

Trump campaigned with Robinson twice in August at his North Carolina campaign events. In Asheville on August 14, Robinson was the last speaker on the opening program before Trump’s arrival, and Trump called him a “good man” and “fighter” in a relatively short speech.

“I want to thank a very good man, and he’s there fighting,” Trump said of Robinson. “… We know he’s a fighter. The next governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson. Thank you, Mark. This is Mrs. Robinson. Thank you. They’re a great, great couple. Thank you both.”

In Asheboro on August 21, Robinson did not speak on stage, but Trump called him out during his speech and briefly brought him on stage.

The Harris campaign has capitalized on Trump and Robinson’s relationship on social media, publishing a series of posts praising Trump’s past comments about Robinson and calling the two “best friends.”

On Friday, the Harris team released a new ad linking Trump to Robinson, saying “both are wrong for North Carolina.”

The ad, which airs in North Carolina, features previous clips of Trump’s praise of Robinson. The 30-second spot also highlights Robinson’s harsh comments on the issue of abortion.

The complaint does not contain the alleged comments and behavior described in the CNN article.

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.