Ben Carson has not appeared on stage at recent Donald Trump fundraisers or rallies.
He also did not appear at the former president’s criminal trial in New York.
But Carson, who served as secretary of housing and urban development in the Trump administration, is still vying for the vice presidential nomination as others participate more strongly in public auditions.
In recent days, up-and-comers such as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance have campaigned with Mr. Trump or sat with him in court. Showing loyalty to Trump. In contrast, Carson began his own promotional tour to promote his new book.
Carson’s absence from President Trump’s show was notable. Carson was the only major vice presidential candidate not to attend a closed-door Republican donor convention in Florida this month.
“Ben Carson remains a candidate, but it’s unclear why,” said Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump State Department appointee. “His name has been mentioned, but he doesn’t appear to have auditioned. Maybe he doesn’t even believe he’s on the list.”
However, others appear flashy and hungry for work, but are less established and have a lot of potential responsibilities. That makes Carson, a loyal former Cabinet member, a likely candidate, a person close to the Trump campaign said.
“The rise of reserved, quiet people is the big story here,” said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations candidly. “Being modest and quiet may have been a negative thing, but it has actually now emerged as a top standard.”
Trump’s selection process has been rigorous. He said he could wait until a few weeks after the Republican National Convention in July to make a decision.
Mr. Carson’s advisers did not respond to requests for comment. People close to Mr. Carson said that if Mr. Trump formally offers him the job, Mr. Carson will likely rely on his deep spirituality in deciding whether to accept.
“If Dr. Carson believes this is what the Lord wants him to do, he will do it,” said Deanna, HUD’s principal deputy chief of staff and press secretary for the 2016 presidential campaign.・Bass Williams said.
Carson, 72, was a prominent pediatric neurosurgeon before seeking the Republican presidential nomination eight years ago. Trump attacked him during his campaign, at one point comparing his “pathological temper” to “child molestation.” His former rivals eventually grew closer, and Mr. Carson served in Trump’s Cabinet for the entirety of his term.
In his recently published book, “Dangerous Battles,” Mr. Carson wrote about his conversation with Mr. Trump after the last Republican debate during the 2016 campaign. “‘You’re going to be the next president,’ I told him.”
Trump recalled that he “seemed surprised to hear that from one of his rivals” and asked him why he thought that.
“‘Because God hasn’t finished this country yet,’ I answered. ‘And God has a job for you to do.’ That’s what I believed then, and I still believe. “But a large part of its work has been to strengthen and support American families,” Carson wrote.
Unlike President Trump’s other running mate candidates, Mr. Carson does not have to go out of his way to demonstrate loyalty, a person close to the campaign said.
“If he has not been able to prove himself in the bunker of the first administration, he will need to appear in court,” the source said. “If you’re not being attacked by the Washington Post or the New York Times, I don’t think you can withstand it.”
Republican consultant Dennis Lennox said Carson is a “trusted surrogate” for Trump in this year’s caucuses and primaries and someone the former president “is and will be loyal to.” He said he also checked other items for people who might choose . Be kind to him.
“The important thing is he’s not a candidate in 2028. That’s an important consideration,” Lennox added. “Mr. Trump doesn’t have the luxury of choosing someone to start running for president the day he takes office.”
Some are skeptical about Carson’s suitability as a running mate.
“He started a fire in part of his base when he was running for president in 2015, but that was almost 10 years ago,” Bartlett said, adding that speculation about a running mate is “a good guy with no chance.” I think it’s a great gesture for a man.
Bartlett added, “It would be difficult to find undecided voters who would be swayed by Vice President Carson’s nomination and whether he would win even though he has never held elected office at any level. There will be many questions about whether that will happen,” he added. I am ready to serve as president if necessary.”
Carson’s new book could pose another hurdle.
President Trump has said he believes abortion policy should be left up to each state, but Carson wrote that he wants a nationwide ban.
“Many states have made abortion illegal because of the Dobbs decision, and many more states continue to do so,” Carson said, citing Roe v. Wade and the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned federal abortion protections. I am writing this while referring to the ruling. “What is needed is a law that guarantees the right to life for all Americans, including those in the womb. Therefore, we must speak out boldly through the legislative process to save our fellow citizens. yeah.”
The book reaffirmed Carson’s long-held hard-line stance on abortion. In 2015, he compared women who terminate pregnancies to “slave owners” on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” Carson also said during the 2016 campaign that she was open to allowing women to terminate pregnancies to save their lives, but that she did not believe in exceptions for rape and incest.
President Trump has viewed abortion as a weakness in the Republican Party and has asked supporters about the conservative views held by some of his potential candidates, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. NBC News reported that. march. Trump has a long history of taking a variety of positions on abortion, but during the campaign he said he views it as a states’ rights issue and would not sign a federal ban on abortion. Ta.
Democratic groups have signaled plans to make abortion a top issue in the general election.
“President Trump is functionally running somewhere between pro-choice and agnostic on the abortion issue,” Lennox said. “That creates problems because a lot of candidates are taking very different positions.”
Those close to Trump’s campaign downplayed the role abortion played in choosing his running mate.
“The president has no litmus test on any issue,” the person said. “He actually values people who push back or have a different opinion, but only as long as he ultimately recognizes that the policies are the president’s and he has to support the president’s policies.”
