Dr. Ben Carson is no longer part of the effort to vet candidates to be presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s running mate.
Carson’s business manager, Armstrong Williams, first told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that Carson was just one of a number of people recommending potential vice presidential candidates to Trump. The Washington Post reported earlier Tuesday that Trump’s top aide, Corey Lewandowski, would be leading the search.
Williams confirmed to TPM in a phone interview that Carson completed his tasks by sending Trump his recommendations.
“He asked for his recommendations, he made them and now it’s time to move on,” Williams said, adding that it was now up to Lewandowski to “start the tough work” of vetting the candidates.
Williams wouldn’t divulge who Carson recommended to Trump as a potential running mate. Carson told The Wall Street Journal last week that he didn’t want to be Trump’s vice president and suggested that a Democrat could be vetted for the job.
Carson’s attention has since pivoted to focusing on a meeting he’s scheduled to have with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) ahead of Trump’s own visit with the speaker, Williams said. He said that Trump and Carson decided it would be strategically beneficial for the retired neurosurgeon to meet with Ryan.
“They’ve spoken over the last several months periodically and it’s good that Mr. Trump has someone like Dr. Carson who believes in him,” Williams told TPM. “And so Dr. Carson’s going to convey that in his own way of communicating.”
This post has been updated.
