Carson Refuses To ‘Preview’ Plan For Coronavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship

Republican Presidential hopeful Ben Carson speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2016 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington, March 4, 2016. / AFP / SAUL LOEB... Republican Presidential hopeful Ben Carson speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2016 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington, March 4, 2016. / AFP / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson wouldn’t go into details about the Trump administration’s plan upon the docking of the Grand Princess cruise ship in Oakland, California during an interview on ABC News Sunday morning.

On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence said during a coronavirus task force press briefing that 21 people aboard the ship tested positive for the coronavirus, which include 19 crew members and two passengers.

When pressed by ABC News’ George Stephanopolous regarding the administration’s plan to deal with the 3,500 people on board the ship, Carson — who is a member of the administration’s coronavirus task force — responded that Pence met with the CEOs of major cruise ship companies Saturday and that “they are coming up with a plan within 72 hours of that meeting.”

Stephanopolous then pointed out that the ship is docking tomorrow, prompting Carson to say that “the plan will be in place by that time” but that he doesn’t “want to preview the plan right now.”

“Shouldn’t you be able to do that?” Stephanopolous asked Carson.

Carson responded that he thinks “it needs to all come from a solitary source.”

“We shouldn’t have 16 people saying what the plan is particularly when it hasn’t been fully formulated,” Carson said.

Watch Carson’s remarks below:

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Notable Replies

  1. Can’t have too many people talking, or the truth might accidentally escape.

  2. Especially if the first one to comment is a babbling imbecile…

  3. Shortly after saying he would not “preview” a plan, Carson explained that he was going to take a nap.

  4. “This began in December 2019, it began being widely reported in January 2020. How could we possibly know what was going to happen and have any plan now? Who could’ve foreseen all of these things?”

    Sometimes, I think these guys aren’t very bright.

  5. Either a) he doesn’t know what the plan is, or b) there is no plan, just gonna wing it

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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