Ben Carson Says U.S. Shouldn't Vote for Muslim President
Retired neurosurgeon and 2016 presidential hopeful Ben Carson has defended recent comments he made regarding a Muslim president.
When asked whether a president's faith mattered, Carson told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he does not believe a Muslim president should be elected to office.
"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that," Carson said on the Sunday program.
Carson had responded to a question as to whether a president's faith played a role in his likeability to voters.
"I guess it depends on what that faith is," Carson said. "If it's inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the Constitution, no problem."
Carson went on to add that he doesn't believe Islam is consistent with the values held by the U.S. Constitution.
Fellow 2016 presidential hopeful Donald Trump has received criticism for his recent failure to correct a supporter who described President Barack Obama as a Muslim during a speech in New Hampshire.
During a question and answer event at Trump's recent New Hampshire speech, a Trump supporter asked "how can we get rid of [Muslims]."
Trump responded by saying "We're going to be looking at a lot of different things. You know, a lot of people are saying that, and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there. We're going to look at that and plenty of other things."
