Ben Carson asked fifth-graders at an Iowa school who was the worst student in class – and after several pointed fingers at a fellow 10-year-old, the retired neurosurgeon offered the boy a pep talk and hug, the
Des Moines Register reports.
"I figured people would be pointing around to all different people who they didn't like,” Carson told the Register, which noted the awkward moment echoed a story Carson often relates about being labeled "the dumbest person in the world" in grade school.
The child met with the GOP presidential contender after the rally at Isaac Newton Christian School, and Carson encouraged him to become a neurosurgeon too, drawing the boy to his side for a photo.
The boy's mom, Robin Blackford, tells the Register the exchange was mostly harmless.
"As a mother, it kind of saddens me that he would be pointed out like that," she told the newspaper. "Knowing Seth, I think he'd take it in stride … he's very well-liked by all the students."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.