Carson Won’t Back Trump’s Claim That He’s ‘Done More For Black Community’ Since Lincoln

UNITED STATES - MARCH 4: HUD Secretary Ben Carson arrives to testify during the House Appropriations Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing titled the “Department of Housing and Urban Development Budget Request for FY2021,” in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - MARCH 4: HUD Secretary Ben Carson arrives to testify during the House Appropriations Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing titled the Department ... UNITED STATES - MARCH 4: HUD Secretary Ben Carson arrives to testify during the House Appropriations Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing titled the Department of Housing and Urban Development Budget Request for FY2021, in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Sunday wouldn’t say whether he agrees with President Trump’s claim that he’s “done more for the black community than any other president” since Abraham Lincoln left office in 1865.

When asked by ABC News’ George Stephanopolous about Trump’s claim — which was aired on Fox News on Thursday and echoed his tweet earlier this month — Carson touted what he views as accomplishments by the Trump administration regarding opportunity zones, prison reforms and increased funding for HBCUs.

Carson went on to say that debating about who has “done the most” is “not productive.”

“So to get into an argument about who’s done the most probably is not productive,” Carson said. “But it is good to acknowledge the things that have been done.”

Stephanopoulos then pressed on Carson on whether Trump should stop making his claim. The ABC News anchor mentioned how former President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act, Ulysses Grant sent in troops to take on the Ku Klux Klan and Dwight Eisenhower dispatched troops to enforce Brown v. Board of Education.

“All of which is a significant part of our history,” Carson said. “And that’s an important thing for us to acknowledge — what has happened in the past. And, you know, we should be willing to look at what we’ve done together collectively to make progress.”

Watch Carson’s remarks below:

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