Ben Carson’s inflammatory comments about Muslims, illegal immigration, mass shooting victims and Jews during the Holocaust have caused his poll numbers to surge.
Speaking to the New York Times, the Republican presidential candidate’s business manager, Armstrong Williams, said Carson used to heed the advice of advisers who told him to tone down his statements. But he has now decided to double down on recent controversial comments that advisers feared “could be a game changer for him, and not in a good way.”
“He would listen to others and abandon sometimes what he feels deep down. But for the last two weeks he has said, ‘No,'” Williams explained.
“He came alive,” Williams continued as he discussed Carson’s momentum following his comment that a Muslim shouldn’t be president, which resulted in mass backlash, but a surge in media coverage, grassroots support and poll numbers. Carson is six points behind GOP frontrunner Donald Trump in a new CBS News poll and seven points ahead of Trump in an IPP/TIPP poll.
“He has not backed down from that moment,” Williams concluded.
Carson’s latest controversial comments suggested that if more Jews were armed during the Holocaust, there wouldn’t have been mass genocide. The Anti-Defamation League criticized his statements as “historically innacurate.”
In an interview with TheWrap, American University history professor Leonard Steinhorn also ripped Carson.
“Carson has a history of making intemperate and ill-informed statements. Shame on the press for covering only the horse race and not constantly reminding us of the more outrageous statements some candidates make — and what that says about their worldview.”
2016 Presidential Contenders: The Race to the White House (Photos)
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the first person to officially throw his hat into the ring on March 23.
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Republican Senator Rand Paul announced his candidacy on April 7.
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Former First Lady and Secretary of State, Democrat Hillary Clinton announced she would again seek the Oval Office on April 12.
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A Tea Party favorite, Florida Senator Marco Rubio announced his candidacy on April 13.
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A self-described democratic socialist, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he would run on April 28.
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Retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson announced his candidacy on May 3. A native of Detroit, the Republican lived in Baltimore for 36 years.
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The first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company, Republican Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy on May 4.
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Former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee announced his second presidential run in the GOP field on May 5.
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A former Republican senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum announced his second presidential bid on May 27.
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Former New York Governor George Pataki announced the launch of his presidential campaign with a YouTube video on May 28.
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Martin O'Malley, a Democrat and former governor of Maryland, joined the race on May 30.
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Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, announced he would run for the highest office on June 1.
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A former Republican and independent governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee announced his bid for the Democratic nomination on June 3.
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Rick Perry threw his hat into the ring for a second time on June 4. The Republican was the longest serving governor in Texas history.
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The son of one former president and brother of another, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced his bid for the Republican nomination on June 15.
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Republican real estate mogul Donald Trump threw his hat into the presidential ring on June 16, saying he'd be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.”
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"I'm running for President of the United States of America," tweeted Louisiana's Republican Governor Bobby Jindal, who used social media to announce his candidacy on June 24.
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After declaring that "both parties have failed our country," New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie announced his intention to run on June 30.
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Jim Webb, a decorated Vietnam vet and the former Democratic governor of Virginia, announced his candidacy on July 2.
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Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker announced his candidacy on July 13 with a campaign video.
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Ohio Governor John Kasich announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on July 21, saying no other candidate else has his experience dealing with deficits, unemployment and national security.
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Jim Gilmore, former Army intelligence officer and Republican governor of Virginia, announced his candidacy on July 30.
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From Jeb Bush to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the race continues to grow
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the first person to officially throw his hat into the ring on March 23.