HENDERSONVILLE — Self-billed “conservative journalist” Bill Robinson (aka “Relentless Bill”), the keynote speaker at the Feb. 8 breakfast meeting of the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club, told of his battle to survive kidney disease, his rise through the ranks of journalism as a conservative, including run-ins with leftists, whom, he said, dominate the news media, and his many interviews with President Donald J. Trump, during which he got to know what he calls the true Trump.

Men’s Club President Bruce Hatfield introduced Robinson to the meeting attendees, noting that “Bill Robinson is a journalist who lives in Arden.” Hatfield also said that Robinson has written for The Wall Street Journal, Newsmax, Forbes, The Financial Times and other publications and that Robinson would be speaking on a number of topics, “including his interview with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago (club).” Robinson’s bio also states that he “has appeared on Fox News, CNN, PBS, Bloomberg, BBC and had his own segment on SKY News.”

Beginning his presentation on a spiritual note, Robinson told the meeting attendees that, “first, a thanks from my sponsor.” Praying aloud, he said solemnly: “Dear God... thanks for helping me survive a deadly disease.”

Then, taking a more worldly perspective, he stated, “They call me ‘Relentless Bill!’ I also borrow frequently from Charlton Heston: ‘From my cold, dead hands….’” (The aforementioned phrase “is often associated with gun rights advocates and is most famously attributed to actor Charlton Heston during a speech at an NRA convention where he forcefully stated that he would not give up his gun “from my cold, dead hands,” AI Overview stated.)

Continuing, Robinson asserted, “I probably know President Trump the best… This guy is for real. This guy is authentic… I interviewed him last year five or six times for a total of six hours on the phone. He’s not my best friend, but if I walked into the room, he’d recognize me.”

Robinson then asked, rhetorically, “How could people be so offended by four simple words: ‘Make America great, again?’ I’ve never heard so much hatred” in response to a slogan.

Turning to his personal life, he said, “In 2017, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. I found out I had to go on dialysis....”

Robinson added “I came (moved) to Asheville because I had seen where it has a great kidney or dialysis center. When I first came here, I went through (a continuous) three years of dyalysis,” which left him with a ultra-short life expectancy. (Undergoing dialysis treatment for a continuous three years means one’s “kidneys are not functioning properly and they rely on a machine to filter their blood three times a week to stay alive; this is considered a significant duration on dialysis...” AI Overview noted.)

“After three years of dialysis, less than 1 percent of dialysis patients survive,” Robinson said. “I had to ask: ‘Why me, God?’”

Returning to the topic of Trump, he told the Men’s Club gathering, “If you think President Trump is just an entertainer or showman,” nothing could be further from the truth, based on his own personal — and repeated — experiences with him.

As Trump, over time, kept up with Robinson’s kidney problems, including his need for a new kidney, he said, “President Trump eventually signed an executive order called ‘Advancing Americans’ Kidney Health.’ In that EO were all kinds of fresh ideas for ways to get kidneys....

“When he (Trump) goes to work on a subject,” he is relentless, Robinson asserted.

To that end, “on Dec. 25, 2019, I got the call after three years on dyalisis, I got a call ... saying, ‘Mr. Robinson, we’d like to offer you a kidney!’ Without President Trump’s help, it feels like it wouldn’t have happened...

“So I got my kidney” and “for the last six years, I’ve been writing for Newsmax... I (also) wrote for the Huffington Post (for seven years) — I probably am the only Christian writer they ever will have... I wrote a lot about (now-former President Barack) Obama. He was an incompetent liar. He almost destroyed our country....

Upon joining Newsmax, he said, “My first article (on Jan. 23, 2023) was to be titled “How President Trump Saved My Life.”

After a pause, Robinson added, “It’s a beautiful situation with President Trump. He’s a tremendous conversationalist. He’s not an egotist. He does care about people other than himself. The smearing has to end. I think he’s the greatest human being living now... I don’t think he’s perfect. I think he’s a sinner. He’s a flawed man ---— like all of us.

“The way our interviews went, it was kind of the same format. He’s always asking about me, first. He actually cares… It’s interesting... After a while, he’ll say, ‘OK, Bill: What have you got for me?’ That’s my cue to start asking him questions. At the end of the interview, he’ll always say, ‘Give my best to your family….’” With a smile, Robinson added, “I never had the nerve to to tell him (Trump): “My family is a bunch of Bolsheviks — and they hate you!”

Next, Robinson held out his cellphone, with the volume turned up, and replayed for the meeting attendees an interview with Trump, who was full of questions about his health regarding Robinson’s kidney issues. “Trump showed genuine concern,” he noted.

What’s more, later “Trump referred to “this clown who’s giving away our money,” referring to then-President Joe Biden. “He’s horrible,” Trump said of Biden.

Robinson then added, “This was in February 2024. I subsequently wrote an article on that... I also wrote an article titled, ‘Trump started zero wars.’”

After another pause, he said, “What I wanted to tell you is, this man (Trump) cares about this country. I’m so glad he’s not a politician. I’m so glad he’s not just a businessman...

“We’ve had seven suicides by Christian conservative girls in Buncombe County schools… It’s very easy for them to manipulate our young kids in the schools…. They (school officials) finally tell them: ‘Don’t tell your parents!’” 

In a self-assessment, Robinson asserted, “I’m not very forgiving... I’m very judgmental....”

He then triggered much laughter from the attendees when he acknowledged, brightly, “At least, I’m self-aware!”

In dealing with Buncombe school officials, Robinson noted, “I have to remind them that Jesus would upend tables and chase them (evil-doers) with whips… That’s the Jesus I want — when it comes to protecting our children in the schools....

“The schools with the highest number of student-suicide attempts are in Lubbock, Texas. Fortunately, none (of the suicide attempts) were successful....”

Speaking historically, Robinson stated, “I’m not saying no Republicans are pedophiles and no Republicans are thieves, but it is mostly psychotic Democrats murdering conservative, Christian presidents… It’s time to start holding the Democrats responsible.”

Next, for what he called “Part 2” of his presentation, he addressed “What’s going on with the local Republican parties.” 

To that end, he triggered the loudest applause and cheering from the meeting attendees when he asserted, “Please! I implore you! For the sake of the world, jump on board for President Trump!… Too bad” that he is not perfect... “But he’s the best we’ve got — and he’s saving our country!”

In contrast, he charged, “I am telling you our local GOPs” are being controlled by terrible leadership. 

“There’s one sadistic woman (Henderson County resident Michele Woodhouse) who’s in charge of the whole thing in this district. (Woodhouse is the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party’s 11th Congressional District.)

“Her first strategy was to lock up Henderson and Buncombe counties. If you control those two, as (U.S. Rep.) Chuck Edwards (a Flat Rock Republican) said, you can put in anyone you want.”

Next, he noted, “Jane Bilello (who was present at the Men’s Club meeting) -— a dear friend of mine — said, ‘We’re going to concentrate on the voter integrity.” Robinson said that Bilello, a Flat Rock resident, and other leaders on the North Carolina Election Integrity Team “are the unsung heroes of this election” in which Trump was elected president.

“At one point, they (local Republican leadership) came after me and and Kathy (Maney)… It was the same night that Brett was accused of assault on a woman (Maney).”

Then, noting “it’s really my opinion,” Robinson specifically lambasted the efforts of Woodhouse, district GOP chair; Brett Callaway, Henderson County GOP chair; Doug Brown, Buncombe County GOP chair; and Robin Atkins Wierzbicki, Polk County GOP chair.

He slammed Woodhouse as “this spiky-haired, skinny woman, walking around with big shoulder pads... She’s the type of person you’d drive an hour and a half -— to avoid her... If she petted your dog, or wanted to touch your baby, you’d move away....”

Continuing, Robinson asserted, “How dare she (Woodhouse) ask people to be quiet” at a recent Henderson Republican Party meeting. “It’s a ridiculous way of controlling good people... The gentleman (earlier) said it was a ‘mess.’ Yeah, I know... They already had thrown out the 35 precinct chairs….”

He added, “They’re fake Christians, fake Jews, fake Republicans. They think they’re cool and good. They’ll be ‘smited’ by God — and turned into pillars of salt. (To be “smited” means “to hit someone forcefully or to have a sudden powerful or damaging effect on someone,” the Cambridge English Dictionary stated.)

“They had me removed by a quick vote of three people — on that basis that “you must be a Republican and living in Henderson County.” (Robinson lives in Buncombe County.)

“When they kicked me out, it was a rare double-play — a lifelong Republican” removed from a GOP meeting “by a low-level misanthrope like Brett Callaway...  You don’t throw the media out. The best thing you can do is invite the media in....”

Similarly, he said, “In Buncombe County, it’s like a combination Stalin-Nazi operation (at BCGOP meetings), with three people (leading), with a guard outside.”

Further, he contended, “I’m just saying that’s what’s happing in Henderson County and Buncombe County... I’m feeling really responsible for helping to get Doug Brown elected (as the chair). I felt Glenda Weinart (the previous BCGOP chair) wasn’t doing the job... 

“So I got Doug Brown in — and now I have to get him out. Doug Brown hates President Trump. Brett Callaway hates President Trump. Still, they’re at the airport,” each “with a Trump hat on,” when Trump last visited Ashville on Jan. 24. “They (the local GOP leadership) all hate Trump, but they never say anything, individually, about Trump.”

He also said that the Polk County GOP leadership had Dick Shaughnessy’s friend (Gene Comiskey) arrested during a Republican meeting there for no valid reason. “If we don’t clean house with our ‘rodent-iary’” local Republican leadership, “we’re going to be in trouble.”

Robinson concluded his presentation by asserting, “Clean out your (local) GOP (leaderships), or watch them die!”

At that point, Men’s Club member Joe Guy said, “To echo your talk, I’d like to say what we’re doing on Plan of Organization.” HCRP chair candidate Greg Beam agreed with Guy.

To the contrary, Robinson asserted, “I don’t think you’re hearing me... You’re rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” with the proposed new Plan of Organization because, he contended, Woodhouse and other local GOP leaders ignore the rules.

However, Beam and Guy — and others — insisted that the HCRP must have rules — and that the rules must be followed.