Ben Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under former President Trump, said his ex-boss “doesn’t like to surround himself with ‘yes’ people” when asked about his position on abortion laws.
CNNs Jake Tapper urged Carson on “State of the Union” to detail his conversations with Trump on abortion laws, noting that Carson has expressed support for national abortion legislation in the past.
Trump said last month that he believes abortion law should be enacted by the states in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“President Trump doesn’t like to surround himself with ‘yes’ people. And he likes to have healthy discussions about things and recognize that in terms of saving the lives of [the] unborn, he has done more than any other president. So I give him a lot of credit for that,” Carson said.
Carson also said he agrees with Trump and suggests abortion laws should be set by the states.
“I think I completely agree with his idea of shifting it to the United States. And the reason it needs to be shifted to the United States [is] because the discussions can take place between the legislators and the people. That’s where it should be. That is where it should have been in the first place,” he said.
Carson first endorsed Trump in 2016, shortly after he ended his own bid for the White House. After some speculation swirled about whether he would be Trump’s vice presidential choice, he was ultimately selected to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Carson has already endorsed Trump in his third bid for the White House. He said Sunday that he has not spoken to Trump about his running mate, but that he is willing to debate Vice President Harris.
“I would certainly be willing to discuss the policies and differences. You know we have a unique situation where you [can] juxtaposing two different governments with different philosophies. And people can see how one person feels and how the other person felt, and I would love to have a debate with her or anyone else,” he said.
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