Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Ben Carson's Most Controversial Comments
Carson's political views have been causing alarm.
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We Never Really Knew Ben Carson Until Now - Up until recent years, Dr. Ben Carson, a Republican presidential candidate for the 2016 election, was a beloved figure in the minds of African-Americans. Carson was the young boy who rose up out of poverty in Baltimore to become a distinguished surgeon. His book Gifted Hands is on the reading lists of many grade school students. But Carson the politician and pundit with the controversial views is a different side of that person. BET.com takes a look at his most controversial comments. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Carson Asks Schoolchildren "Who Is the Worst Student?" - Ben Carson sure has a way with the kids. While visiting a group of Cedar Rapids, Iowa students, he asked the group, "Who is the worst student here?" The students reportedly pointed out who they considered the weakest pupil in their class, leading Carson to then tell the unnamed boy, “You’re going to be a neurosurgeon, okay? All right? But all you have to do to turn it around is read," after telling his own story of not being the brightest student and turning it into a successful career as a doctor. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Confusing 'Hamas' and 'Hummus' - During remarks at an event for Republican Jews in Washington, D.C. on December 3, Carson continuously mispronounced the word “Hamas” and said “hummus” instead. Hamas is the name of a Palestinian Islamic organization. Hummus is a dish made of chickpeas with origins in the Middle East and often served with pita chips; not during foreign policy pressers. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Carson Believes Refugees Are Living Comfortably in Refugee Camps - Ben Carson took a “fact-finding” trip to Jordan where he met with Syrian refugees and was shocked to learn that many in the refugee camps want to go back to their homes, not to the United States. He also had some interesting perspectives about their current living conditions in the camps, expressed during an interview with ABC's This Week Sunday (Nov. 29).“It's really quite impressive when you go over there and see it,“ Carson said, noting that some parts of the camps even had schools, electricity and indoor plumbing. He also insisted that the refugees were “a lot happier. They were quite willing to stay there as long as it takes before they can get back home.” (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Ben Carson Caught in Lie About West Point - Politico reports that Ben Carson's claims about acceptance and a full scholarship to West Point are untrue. A spokesman for the academy said that there are no records that show that the presidential candidate ever applied. “He was introduced to folks from West Point by his ROTC supervisors,” said campaign manager Barry Bennett. “They told him they could help him get an appointment based on his grades and performance in ROTC. He considered it but in the end did not seek admission.” (Photo: Johnny Louis/FilmMagic)
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Ben Carson Compares Abortion to Slavery - Carson wants to see Roe V. Wade, the law that allows a woman's right to choose whether she may have an abortion, overturned. He used the strange analogy of slavery to express his point of view during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday (Oct. 26). “During slavery — and I know that’s one of those worlds you’re not supposed to say, but I’m saying it — during slavery, a lot of the slave owners thought that they had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave," said Carson. "Anything that they chose to do. And what if abolitionists had said: ‘You know, I don’t believe in slavery. I think it’s wrong, but you guys do whatever you want to do? Where would we be?” (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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'Apologizes' for Holocaust Quote - On Wednesday (Oct. 15), Carson wrote an op-ed for The Jerusalem Post to apologize for using the Holocaust to defend his comments about gun policy. "I never intended for my words to diminish the enormity of the tragedy or in any way to cause any pain for Holocaust survivors or their families," he wrote. He didn't say sorry nor did he say, "I apologize." His original comments made on CNN were the "likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed." (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Comparing Gun Control to the Holocaust - "I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Thursday (Oct. 8). "I'm telling you there is a reason these dictatorial people take the guns first." (Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
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Being Held Up in Popeyes - Carson continued to defend his theory that victims of gun control have more control over stopping their attacker, this time using this odd analogy. "I have had a gun pulled out on me when I was in a Popeyes organization," said Carson on Sirius XM Radio's Karen Hunter Show. "In any rate, guy comes in, puts the gun in my ribs and I just said, 'I believe you want the guy behind the counter.'" (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Blames Victims of Oregon Shooting - When asked about the shooting at Umpqua Community College, Carson set off a wave of criticism for his response that put blame on the victim."Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me," Carson said on Fox News. "I would say, 'Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all.'" (Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
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Police Brutality 'Joke' - At a campaign event in New Hampshire in September, the GOP presidential candidate recalled hopping over fences while being chased by police during his childhood. "Throwing rocks at cars, I really liked that. Sometimes, the police would come, always in unmarked cars. And they'd be chasing us across the field, and they would think they trapped us," he said. "Now, that was back in the days before they would shoot you." He continued, "I'm just kidding! You know they wouldn't do that.” (Photo: Richard Ellis/Getty Images)
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His Belief That Muslims Can't Be President - "We don't put people at the head of our country whose faith might interfere with them carrying out the duties of the Constitution," Carson told Fox News in September. "If you're a Christian and you're running for president and you want to make this [country] into a theocracy, I'm not going to support you. I'm not going to advocate you being the president." (Photo: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
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Carson Apologizes for Saying 'Homosexuality Is a Choice' - Back in March, Carson was under fire for saying that homosexuality is a choice because when people "go into prison straight — and when they come out, they're gay." He later apologized and said he would no longer discuss LGBT issues during his presidential campaign. "I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended," he added. (Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)