Donald Trump may have just dropped his most offensive insult yet against Ben Carson.
The real estate developer said Thursday that Carson’s self-described “pathological temper” is incurable, equating it to the sickness of a “child molester.”
“It’s in the book that he’s got a pathological temper,” Trump told CNN’s Erin Burnett about the retired neurosurgeon’s autobiography. “That’s a big problem because you don’t cure that … as an example, child molesting. You don’t cure these people. You don’t cure a child molester. There’s no cure for it. Pathological, there’s no cure for that.”
In his 1990 memoir, “Gifted Hands,” Carson blamed his past violent behavior to a “disease,” which he described as a “pathological temper.” The GOP presidential hopeful said it caused him to strike one friend with a rock and attempt to stab another. Carson also said he once tried to attack his mother with a hammer.
During his sit-down with CNN, Trump questioned Carson’s ability to lead the nation.
“I’m not bringing up anything that’s not in his book,” Trump told Burnett. “You know, when he says he went after his mother and wanted to hit her in the head with a hammer, that bothers me. I mean, that’s pretty bad. When he says he’s pathological — and he says that in the book, I don’t say that — and again, I’m not saying anything, I’m not saying anything other than pathological is a very serious disease. And he said he’s pathological, somebody said he has pathological disease.”
Carson’s personal rise from poverty to top neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University has become a central theme of his 2016 presidential bid. But the story has come under scrutiny from reporters who have been unable to verify many of Carson’s stories. Trump also questioned his claims.
“When he said he hit a friend of his in the face with a lock, with a pad lock, right in the face, I say, ‘Whoa,’ that’s pretty bad,” Trump said in the interview. “And when he said he stabbed somebody with a knife but it hit a belt buckle — I know all about knives and belt buckles. Belt buckles aren’t gonna stop because they can turn, they can twist … they’re not solid especially if somebody’s got a couple extra pounds on them.”
Asked whether he believed that Carson had let go of his anger, Trump hesitated.
“I just don’t know,” he said. “Look, I hope he’s fine because I think it would be a shame. What he’s saying is these things happen. It’d be nice if he said none of these things did happen. He’s saying these things happen and therefore I have credibility. And what I’m saying is, I’d rather have them if they didn’t happen. I don’t want somebody who hit somebody in the face with a padlock.”
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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.