UPDATE: 3:20 p.m. Republican presidential candidates Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are expected to meet Thursday in South Carolina, Politico reported, following a week of tension over an alert Cruz’s campaign sent to Iowa caucusgoers suggesting that Carson was dropping out of the race.
Carson wouldn’t tell Politico whether he thought the Cruz campaign’s tactics hurt the Texas senator’s support among voters. He did say that “the information is out there for everybody to see,” adding that he thought a private meeting would “probably” help their situation.
Carson clarified later in the day to Politico that Cruz asked for the meeting and the details had not yet been ironed out.
“Everybody has a brain,” Carson told Politico.
On the night of the Iowa caucuses, CNN reported that Carson would travel to Florida for a “brief rest.” The Cruz campaign, citing that report, blasted out an email to supporters that said Carson was dropping out of the race and his supporters should be persuaded to put their votes behind Cruz.
Carson characterized that tactic as “dirty tricks,” and both campaigns wound up blaming the media for the incident. CNN has stood by its report and Carson has said Cruz apologized to him.
