Ben Carson Says He Used to be a Liberal Before Hearing Ronald Reagan Speak

2016 Presidential hopeful Ben Carson recently admitted that he used to consider himself a liberal until he heard Ronald Reagan speak. 

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, made his comments in a recent interview with The Daily Signal, saying that in his younger years the 63-year-old "used to be a flaming liberal."

"I grew up in Detroit — a liberal stronghold. I went to Yale University — a liberal bastion. I came back and lived in Baltimore after being in Ann Arbor [Michigan] — another liberal bastion," Carson told the media outlet.

"I probably would have continued to drink the liberal Kool-Aid except that I started seeing so many people in my practice who were dependent upon the government, who were able-bodied people," Carson said. "I said, 'What in the world is going on here?'"

Carson said he first truly considered switching political parties when he heard former U.S. President Ronald Reagan speak for the first time.

"And, I started listening to Ronald Reagan, which was a no-no because as a liberal you can't possibly listen to anything a Republican has to say," Carson explained. "We were told that they were racist, horrible, bigoted people, that you should steer clear of them. I started listening to what he was saying and he didn't sound like any of the things that they were saying. He sounded like a logical person and my mind changed."

Carson is one of several GOP contenders vying for the 2016 presidency. The retired neurosurgeon is prepping for his first political debate on August 6 hosted by Fox News.