CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called out Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Tuesday on social media for a speech that Robinson gave saying he owns AR-15s in case “the government gets too big for its britches.”
“This is dangerous and not who we are as patriotic North Carolinians,” Cooper, a Democrat, tweeted, tagging Robinson, a Republican. Cooper said Robinson’s words shame the state.
He called Robinson’s speech “advocating violent overthrow of our (government).”
The speech about AR-15s was at a church event earlier in May, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
In video of his speech, Robinson said that he has AR-15s at home “to go target shooting and all that. But that’s not what they’re there for.”
“I’m not ashamed to say it. I’m probably not supposed to say it. But I’m gonna say it anyway,” he said. “I got them AR-15s in case the government gets too big for its britches. Cause I’m gonna fill the backside of them britches with some lead.”
Robinson is part of North Carolina’s state government. The lieutenant governor serves on the Council of State, Board of Education and other boards. The lieutenant governor also presides over the state Senate, but only votes to break a tie.
“(Robinson’s) assault weapon threats are bad enough, but an elected official sworn to uphold the constitution advocating violent overthrow of our govt shames NC and puts our safety and our democracy at risk,” Cooper wrote.
Robinson’s executive assistant, Patrick Riley, said on Twitter Tuesday morning that Robinson “didn’t advocate for violence. He was explaining the Declaration of Independence.”
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein tweeted Tuesday that “Robinson’s statement is incredibly dangerous.”
“To say that you have an AR-15 to shoot government officials is simply unacceptable,” said Stein, a Democrat and the state’s top law enforcement official. “We need leaders who are focused on serving the public, not pushing pretend culture wars. We are better than this.”
Robinson has said he will almost certainly run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2024, and Stein is a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination. Cooper is not eligible for a third consecutive term.
In an emailed statement to The News & Observer, Robinson said that Cooper and Stein “are showing who they really are — typical politicians.”
“No one with a brain thinks I’m calling for people to attack government officials. You would think that the Governor, and the Attorney General would have a better grasp of the Constitution. The Framers gave us the 2nd Amendment to protect us from a tyrannical government. Period,” Robinson said.
“Don’t be surprised if these two career politicians continue to attack me and try to skew my words — they are scared of me, and they don’t want me to be Governor,” he said.
Robinson also spoke at last week’s National Rifle Association annual meeting in Texas. Multiple elected officials, including Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, had pulled out of attending the event in-person after the massacre of 19 elementary schoolchildren and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. The gunman used an AR-15.
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