Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus Thursday praised Ben Carson for expanding the GOP and said that his planned endorsement on Friday of front-runner Donald Trump was "a big gift."
"Dr. Carson has done a great job," Priebus told CNN's Erin Burnett. "He's a good man. Ben Carson did a great job expanding our party."
Carson, the retired pediatric neurosurgeon who dropped out of the race last week, is expected to endorse Trump on Friday in Florida.
Priebus dismissed comments by President Barack Obama that Republicans were to blame for Trump's rise, adding that "I think both parties are having a pretty big debate right now about the direction of their parties.
"People are frustrated with things not getting done in Washington, D.C. People are frustrated with an economy that's not better off.
"He does have a lot to answer for in regard to the promises he's made and what he's delivered," Priebus said of Obama. "He has a lot of things to answer for in his own party."