ABC News host Martha Raddatz grilled Republican presidential candidate Ben carson in an interview aired Sunday over his staffer shake-ups, pressing him for details and pointedly asking if he had planned to fire his aides.
Two of Carson’s top aides, campaign manager Barry Bennett and communication director Doug Watts, resigned last week reportedly over differences with Carson’s campaign advisor, Armstrong Williams.
Raddatz pressed Carson for more information and asked the retired neurosurgeon if he had planned to fire his former staffers before they resigned.
Carson said he had taken a “deep dive” and dodged Raddatz’s inquiry. She asked him repeatedly to answer the question.
“I was going — I was going to make some very substantial changes and Mr. Bennett decided that he could not live with those changes, and that’s OK,” Carson finally responded. “Doesn’t diminish anything that he’s done. I think he’s done a fantastic job.”
The ABC host asked Carson to point to specifics that he didn’t like about his former campaign staffers.
“Well, it was — it was very difficult to execute plans. For instance, getting our policies out,” Carson replied. “You know, we talk and talk and talk but they don’t seem to get out, and I want them out. I want people to be able to analyze them and talk about them.”
Carson continued and said he wanted a “culture of openness, not a culture of control.”
