Dr. Ben Carson announced Tuesday that he was personally calling his rivals to ask them to meet ahead of Thursday’s Republican presidential debate, saying the tone of the race had taken a “turn for the worse.”
“The American People deserve so much from the candidates who are seeking the most powerful position in the free world, and I share their concern that this race has taken a turn for the worse, to the point of embarrassment on the world stage,” Carson said in a statement.
Carson said he was calling the other four candidates in the Republican presidential race to see if they could meet hours before the debate hosted by Fox News in Flint, Michigan.
“I am confident that the five remaining candidates can rise above the sophomoric attacks of past encounters and have a serious discussion about substantive issues and how we will lead our nation forward toward a more prosperous and secure future,” Carson said in the statement.
Here’s the full statement from NBC senior news editor and writer Bradd Jaffy:
Ben Carson, concerned with the lack of civility, calls for a meeting of all 5 GOP campaigns pic.twitter.com/laRvA12Tly
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March 1, 2016
