With Dr. Ben Carson under increased scrutiny from the media lately, one of his top advisers believes that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing with Iowa fast approaching.
Armstrong Williams, who serves as Carson’s business manager, told CNN’s “New Day” Monday that the former pediatric neurosurgeon “needs to be toughened” at this stage in the race, adding that he’d rather this take place right now than later on down the road.
The top Carson aide also intimated to host Alisyn Camerota that while some reporting has been “unfair” lately, referring specifically to the Politico piece about West Point, this is what going to happen given that he does not have a legislative record. He added that he thinks it’s a “very good thing” overall that Carson is being vetted.
Related Story: http://vip-stage.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2575923
“What he needs to understand is that when you enter a presidential race and you don’t have a legislative record … people are going to comb through everything that you said, everything that you’ve uttered, and they will challenge you,” Williams said. “It’s not an issue of whether they’re trying — whatever they’re trying to prove. For those of use that know Dr. Carson … we know that he’s honest, we know that he’s decent, and we know that he’s well meaning. But that’s in a vacuum, not everybody knows that. Dr. Carson is being vetted.
“I know you’re going to be surprised to hear this, but I think it’s a very good thing that Dr. Carson is being vetted,” Williams continued. “That Dr. Carson is being tested. That Dr. Carson is having to answer to these questions because … it’s best that Dr. Carson address these issues early on, get them out of the way and — instead of when the real race begins in January or February.”
Carson currently sits second in the latest RealClearPolitics national average as he heads into the fourth GOP debate, which is set to take place Tuesday night in Milwaukee, Wis. He is in second place in the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings.
“He needs to be toughened,” Williams said. “He needs to know exactly what is expected, because this right now is a walk in the park. It’s going to become more intense, and Dr. Carson has to show that he has the fortitude, he has the courage and the character to withstand all this scrutiny.
“[H]opefully, what everybody’s hoping for, you will start vetting him on what really matters to the American people. On policies that he’s advocating so we can go knee-deep into his policies.”
Williams made the comments after Carson went on CNN Friday to blast the the network over a piece, which looked into Carson’s past claims that he attacked his mother with a hammer and tried to stab someone. The 2016 hopeful called any insinuation that he made up the stories “a bunch a lies.”
