'Nonexistent' relationship prompts call for law requiring more communication between Cooper and Robinson

Robinson, in turn, doesn’t reach out to the governor in pursuit of collaboration and hasn’t asked to be informed of Cooper’s whereabouts.

Tension between state leaders of opposing parties is not unusual in North Carolina. But in a series of interviews with WRAL News, Robinson described an unusually shaky relationship free of the illusion of cordiality. Cooper declined to be interviewed for this article.

“It’s the same at the beginning as it is now: nonexistent,” Robinson said of the dynamic. “And it’s not my fault. My door has never been closed to Governor Cooper.”

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Brian LiVecchi, Robinson’s chief of staff and general counsel, said the Lieutenant Governor’s Office has never received any communication from Cooper’s staff when the governor has left the state, nor has it requested such disclosures.

“They’ve never told us and we’ve never specifically asked that they do,” LiVeechi said.

Cooper’s office didn’t answer questions about whether Cooper discloses when he is no longer able to carry out the functions of his job due to travel.

The perceived cold shoulders appear to have only worsened what was an already abysmal relationship. The communication vacuum is now prompting Robinson and the head of the state GOP, Michael Whatley, to encourage state lawmakers to step in to require the governor to provide notification of his out-of-state travels.

“The governor certainly should be reporting that,” Whatley said. “If there is a constitutional shift in power, it is inconceivable to me that the governor would not notify the lieutenant governor that that is happening. If there does need to be a change in the law to ensure that that happens going forward, I think that that would be a good idea.”

Cooper's out-of-state travel leaves lieutenant governor in the dark

One particular circumstance resonated with Robinson.

He was treated to a thrilling game, where the Tar Heels defeated the Duke Blue Devils to advance to the men’s college basketball national championship.

More than 800 miles away sat Robinson, learning online about the Democratic governor’s trip for the first time. Without notification, Robinson had just become the state’s leader, able to sign executive orders and oversee many vital North Carolina agencies.

“I would hate to have to make a law for common courtesy and for common professionalism, but it’s a possibility,” Robinson said. “We’d have to sit down and review and make sure that it would be a law that would be effective.”

In the same WRAL interview, the lieutenant governor expressed both an openness and reluctance to taking action when the governor is out of town.

“There is no way that I would take a chance of doing something of that nature just to take a pot-shot at somebody,” Robinson said. “That would be cheap and beneath this office.”

One minute later, however, he added: “It would depend on the length of time and what was going on at that particular moment. I’ll just leave it at that and what was going on at that particular moment. We would play it by year and we would be completely fair and open and honest about anything that we would do.”

The state constitution also sets forth a provision where a lieutenant governor may act as the state’s governor when the governor discloses he or she is “physically incapable of performing the duties of [the] office.”

The pandemic has placed a spotlight on that phrase. Robinson, who has previously chastised state officials for encouraging people to get a Covid-19 vaccine, declined to say whether he has personally been vaccinated. Studies show vaccination greatly reduces the risk of developing serious health issues.

“I want people to be able to make their decision on whether or not they want to take the vaccine based on the information they receive from whatever venue it may be, whether it may be their own self-study, doctors, friends, pastors,” Robinson said. “It’s not my job as an elected official to influence anyone to take the vaccine or not take the vaccine.”

Robinson’s views are informed by previously getting sick in consecutive years after taking the flu shot. He also said he and his wife had Covid-19 in the leadup to the 2020 general election. While he isolated at home upon the advice of his doctor, Robinson didn't publicly disclose his infection, which he said didn’t yield serious symptoms.

Asked if he’d publicly share a diagnosis if he got Covid in the future, he replied, “I probably would tell people that I had it. I wouldn’t have a problem with that. There’s not anything shameful about getting Covid.”

In a state won by former President Donald Trump in 2020, North Carolinians also got a divided state government by selecting Cooper and Robinson as the state’s highest-ranking executive officeholders.

Since coming into office in January 2021, Robinson has become known for his insulting comments directed at political opponents and members of the LGBTQ community.

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A day after a shooter killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., this year, Robinson told a church that he owns AR-15 rifles—the style of firearm used in Buffalo—“in case the government gets too big for its britches.”

He added, “I'm going to fill the backside of those britches with some lead. I'm going to say it to you plain: Your boy ain't going down without swinging."

"An elected official advocating violent overthrow of our [government] shames NC and puts our safety and our democracy at risk," Cooper wrote on Twitter.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, who could face Robinson in a 2024 gubernatorial general election, called Robinson’s remarks “incredibly dangerous.” Stein declined to take a position on whether Cooper should disclose his out-of-state travels, saying he hasn’t given thought to the issue.

Robinson said he and Cooper have never had a working relationship.

Sam Chan, a spokesperson for Cooper, said in a statement that the governor has a track record of working with Republicans.

“Gov. Cooper works with elected leaders from both political parties to move North Carolina forward,” Chan said. “When Lt. Gov. Robinson endorses using assault weapons against government officials or associates LGBTQ North Carolinians with the devil, the governor speaks out to make clear that those extreme views do not represent the people of our state.”

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“The very first thing I’m going to do is reach out to that person and say, ‘Please come to my office. Let’s sit down and see what we can work together on,’” Robinson said. “I guarantee it. That is not an empty promise. I think it’s something that people in this state and in this nation need to see right now. They need to see people of different political ideologies come together and work together.”