WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Sunday defended President Trump against accusations of racism.
“He is not racist at all,” Carson told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“He lived in New York. Jesse Jackson gave him an award for the incredible things that he had done in the African-American community,” Carson added. “I have never seen anything that even resembles racism.”
It’s unclear what award Carson is referring to, but Trump did donate office space to Jackson’s Rainbow/Push Coalition at his 40 Wall Street building that garnered praise from the civil rights leader at the time.
But Trump sparked controversy when he called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for the Central Park Five – young black and Latino men who were wrongly accused of assaulting a white Central Park jogger in 1989.
Trump never apologized and his statements have gotten renewed criticism with the release this year of a Netflix series on the case.
Carson’s defense of Trump comes after the House voted last week to condemn Trump’s “racist” tweets against four progressive Democrats in Congress.
Trump told the women of color to “go back” to where they’re from.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, the target of “send her back” chants at a Trump rally in North Carolina, tweeted Saturday that “this racist president wants every black/brown person deported and Muslims banned.”ben carson
Carson, who is African American, condemned a “radical element” in Congress and brought up examples of his personal interactions with Trump.
The first time he met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, another guest alerted Trump to the arrival of singer Rod Stewart.
But Trump wasn’t distracted from his conversation with Carson, who was a celebrated neurosurgeon before entering politics.
“Trump said, ‘Yeah, but this is Ben Carson,’” recalled Carson.
Carson also cited a embarrassing hiccup during one of the GOP debates when Carson missed his entrance on stage because he couldn’t hear his name announced.
“Everybody else walked gleefully past me, but Trump stood right next to me until they straightened it out,” Carson said. “That’s the kind of person that he is.”
Carson said Trump’s policies are responsible for the lowest black unemployment, investment in opportunity zones and for criminal justice reforms that are giving inmates second chances.
“It’s what’s been done,” Carson said. “It’s not what has been said or how it’s been interpreted and hashed over and over in the media.”