A Democratic activist in North Carolina is using artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (R-NC) as part of a campaign to malign the Republican during his gubernatorial campaign.
Robinson, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for North Carolina governor in 2024, is being targeted by Democrat donor Todd Stiefel who set up a racially-charged mock campaign website for a faux-candidate named “Mark Rottinson.” The website features a series of made-up quotes attributed to ‘Rottinson,’ AI voice mimicking of Robinson, and a product line of campaign merchandise making fun of Robinson for being a black conservative.
Stiefel, who has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats including North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, told local outlet WRAL that he plans on spending a million dollars to stop Robinson from flipping North Carolina red. Federal records reveal that he already has given $200,000 toward “Americans for Prosparody,” a now-terminated PAC that claims credit for the ‘Rottinson’ website.
“The goal is to stop Mark Robinson and other extremists from winning elected office,” he said. “And the best way to beat Mark Robinson is to start this week, when people are paying attention.”
Stiefel’s website features fake campaign products like a pillow that says “Black People Achieve Little,” and “Marks Magical Mirror for Black People to See Who is to Blame for Their Problems,” showing a picture of a black man looking into a handheld mirror.
The website also portrays ‘Rottinson’ with a fake mustache and wearing a white hat and filled with made-up quotes and anecdotes.
‘Mark Rottinson’ campaign website.
“You deserve to be represented by someone phenomenally normal,” a quote from Mark says. “Someone like yourself. You don’t need an unhinged slick politician. You need me. I’m palpably sane and remarkably hinged. Like you, I’m just a typical guy who promotes the Confederacy, thinks superhero movies are Satanic, and knows Bill Cosby was the victim of an Illuminati conspiracy. Vote for me because I’m just like you!”
In one section promoting a fake book by ‘Rottinson,’ Stiefel uses AI technology to mimic Robinson’s voice to say things like, “If I had a professional wrestling persona, his name would be ‘the Big Banana,’” and telling stories about getting high as a child on the playground.
Under a section on his platform, the website says Rottinson supports a program to give machine guns to kids in pre-K and that he believes that the “only CRT that should be shoved down kids’ throats should be Christ’s Righteous Truisms!”
Robinson has decried the website and billboards as a smear campaign targeting religious Americans.
“This is a typical Democrat smear campaign,” Robinson spokesman Michael Lonergan said. “[The state Democratic Party] recruited one of their deep-pocketed donors — a far-left, anti-religious activist crusading against Americans of faith — to attack Mark Robinson. Stiefel’s low-rent website is full of fake clips and outrageous lies. North Carolina voters will see right through it.”
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Both Stein and the North Carolina Democratic Party have claimed ignorance of the campaign. Stiefel gave $5,600 to the NC Democratic Party in March 2023 and has given thousands to Democrats like Cheri Beasley, Roy Cooper, and Joe Biden over the past several years.
Robinson rose to prominence in 2018 after a speech he gave in favor of gun rights went viral before he went on to being elected the first black lieutenant governor of North Carolina in 2020. He has been an ally of former President Donald Trump who has endorsed his run for governor.