Ben Carson might be on the verge of flip-flopping his stance with regard to being a part of Donald Trump’s administration. Just over a week ago, it was reported that Carson had decided not to consider a job in Trump’s cabinet . However, in a small period of time, Carson appears to have changed his stance. CNBC , among other outlets, is reporting that Carson might end up accepting a position in Trump’s cabinet after all, perhaps as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and one-time Presidential candidate, previously said he would not have a role in Trump’s administration, citing a lack of experience in government work. Of course, this was a rather odd reason for someone who did run for President in hopes of holding the highest office in the land.
Trump Offers Housing Secretary Job to Ben Carson – Breitbart https://t.co/yrWs2yXgeA
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) November 23, 2016
“Dr. Carson was never offered a specific position, but everything was open to him,” said Armstrong Williams, Carson’s top aide. “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience; he’s never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.”
However, the former neurosurgeon appears to have changed his mind. Wednesday afternoon, Carson published a Facebook post that hints that he will indeed be part of Trump’s cabinet.
“Winning the presidential election was only the first step for those who love traditional America and do not wish to fundamentally change it. Now the hard work begins of restoring the values that made us great. We must bring back the compassion and the unity that empowers us and banish the divisiveness that weakens us. After serious discussions with the Trump transition team, I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly to making our inner cities great for everyone. We have much work to do in strengthening every aspect of our nation and ensuring that both our physical infrastructure and our spiritual infrastructure is solid. An announcement is forthcoming about my role in helping to make America great again.”
Carson’s hint that he is on the verge of joining Donald Trump’s administration comes one day after the President-elect mentioned Carson as a possible candidate for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carson mentioning the “inner cities” and “physical infrastructure” in his Facebook post also points to him being put in charge of Housing and Urban Development.
I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the head of HUD. I’ve gotten to know him well–he’s a greatly talented person who loves people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016
Carson ultimately accepting a job in Trump’s cabinet is not all that surprising once you get past his earlier stance on not being part of the new administration. Carson was quick to endorse Trump after dropping out of the race to be the Republican nominee. The former neurosurgeon also campaigned with Trump throughout the fall and appeared to be an obvious choice to be part of his administration as Carson is another Washington outsider who is not a career politician. Considering Trump’s stance that Washington is broken, it would have been a surprise not to see an ally like Carson take a position on Trump’s staff.
What exactly changed Carson’s mind with regard to accepting a position in Trump’s cabinet is unclear. However, it might be the specific job he’s likely to hold that caused Carson to reconsider. Williams told Business Insider on Tuesday that the position of S ecretary of Housing and Urban Development is “very attractive” for Carson.
“HUD is a place that has an impact on something that Dr. Carson cares tremendously about,” said Williams. “The inner city and urban America — Dr. Carson really has a passion for those issues where you could really make a difference and impact America’s mayors. And while he would like to remain in private life, the president has made an offer that he will really seriously consider, and that’s what he’s doing.”
BET founder: ‘If black Americans can turn the Republican Party into a friend, they should do it.’ – CNN https://t.co/ysjki7z651
— Ben & Candy Carson (@RealBenCarson) November 22, 2016
Of course, it might be pertinent to ask what qualifications Carson has to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. While he spent part of his childhood living in a poverty-stricken part of Detroit, that was decades ago. Carson also spent most of his professional life as a doctor, which is not exactly relevant to the types of housing issues the country faces today.
Ben Carson may have a passion for the issues tackled by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. However, his lack of professional experience in this area makes his change of heart to take a position in Donald Trump’s administration after earlier stating he had no interest in a cabinet position all the more puzzling.
[Featured image via Joe Raedle/Getty Images]