Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has endorsed Donald Trump now that he has dropped out of the presidential race, said on Monday that even if Trump does not make for a great president, four years of Trump is better than any alternative.
“The reason that I’m choosing Trump is because I’m a big picture guy, and I recognize that he’s bringing in a lot of people who were not interested in coming in before,” Carson told Newsmax’s Steve Malzberg in a Monday night phone interview.
Carson said that he wants to avoid a contested convention because it will “fracture” the Republican party, resulting in a presidential election loss for the GOP.
“The way I look at it, even if Donald Trump turns out not to be such a great president — which I don’t think is the case, I think he’s going to surround himself with really good people — but even if he didn’t, we’re only looking at four years, as opposed to multiple generations and perhaps the loss of the American dream forever,” Carson said.
Malzberg asked Carson how he could support Trump after the real estate mogul “said some nasty things” about him.
“Politics,” Carson responded. “The politics of personal destruction — that’s nothing new.”
“I have to look at what is practical. I didn’t see a path for Kasich, who I like, or for Rubio, who I like. As far as Cruz is concerned, I don’t think he’s going to be able to draw independents and Democrats unless he has some kind of miraculous change,” he continued. “Is there another scenario that I would have preferred? Yes, but that scenario isn’t available.”
Carson also defended Trump regarding violence at his campaign rallies.
“You have to place the blame where the blame is due, and the blame is due to the agitators,” Carson said.
But the retired neurosurgeon said that he would not have offered to pay the legal fees for a man who sucker punched a black protester at a Trump campaign event.
Toward the end of the interview, Carson said that Trump “will surround himself with very good people.”
Malzberg asked Carson if he was included in that.
Carson said that he would be involved in a potential Trump administration in an “advisory capacity.” He would not share any details because nothing is final.
