Former presidential candidate Ben Carson told
Newsmax TV it wasn't a "strong desire" of his to actually become president, and he feels his nice guy status worked against him in the campaign.
"I think in this particular political cycle it does because people are angry. People are frightened and they respond more to someone who can provide the comfort that they need," the former pediatric neurosurgeon told Dennis Michael Lynch in an interview broadcast Wednesday night.
"I call it the WWE Raw States," Carson said about what he feels is the state of the nation. "That's where we are. Would we like to be in a different place? Absolutely, but we're not in a different place. We are where we are. It so happens that the people who are running respond to that."
Watch
Newsmax TV on DIRECTV Ch. 349 and Verizon FiOS Ch. 115.
Get Newsmax TV on your cable system –
Click Here Now
Since dropping out of the race in March, Carson has
aligned himself with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, the other "outsider" who entered the campaign with no prior political experience.
The 64-year-old Carson, who at one point late
last year led the Republican field in a national poll, said his decision to run for president was for the people.
"It wasn't a strong desire of mine [to run]. I was simply responding to the will of the people and my fellow citizens," Carson said. "I think that my candidacy will encourage others in the future to run."
Carson helped Trump search for a running mate, and he said the
real estate mogul's VP choice will not be a political one.
"I think he's going to do an excellent job," Carson said of Trump in the White House. "I think he cares very much about this country and that he will surround himself with the kinds of people who will be able to get the job done. I think he also understands that he needs people who are experts in lots of areas."
Carson has remained outspoken about the election since exiting the race.
Last month he said a third-party candidate's presence on the presidential ballot would lead to a Hillary Clinton victory in November.
Last week, Carson noted that Muslims are "terrified" of reporting Islamic terrorism to authorities.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.