Scott Powers
Saying that he’s come to see there are two Donald Trumps – the public one, and a “cerebral” private one – Dr. Ben Carson said he likes and admires the private one and gave his endorsement to Trump on Friday, four days before the Florida primary.
The endorsement is yet another blow to the campaign of Florida’s U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been struggling to persuade Floridians to vote for him instead of Trump.
In a clear reference to Florida, the endorsement came in Palm Beach, where both Carson and Trump have homes and stake their claims to being Floridians themselves.
“There are two different Donald Trumps. There’s the one you see on the stage and there’s the one who’s very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully,” Carson said. “You could have a very good conversation with him. And that’s the Donald Trump you’re going to see more and more of right now.”
In giving the endorsement, Carson said he and Trump “buried the hatchet,” responding to questions about brutal comments Trump had made against Carson before the neurosurgeon suspended his campaign two weeks ago. And Trump said they had apologized, calling the remarks “just politics.”
“Having his support, it just adds total credence to what I’m trying to do, and what we’re all trying to do,” Trump said, calling Carson a “special man.”
Carson also warned the Republican Party to stop trying to derail Trump’s campaign, saying it was not only decisive but going against the wishes of the people. “That is a particularly dangerous place to be right now,” he said.
“This is all about the people and continues to be all about the people. It’s not about the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, its about the people of America,” he said.
Trump said no offers were made to Carson for a spot as vice president on the ticket or a job in a Trump Cabinet. But both he and Carson vowed to work together if Trump is elected, and Trump spoke at length about how valuable Carson would be advising him on education and health.
